


How To Open Wide

by solangeloandtheolympians



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crushes, Dead Bianca di Angelo, Developing Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fights, Gangs, Growing Up, Hormones, M/M, Making Out, Nico di Angelo is Bad at Feelings, Self-Discovery, Sexual Tension, Shy Nico di Angelo, Speedos, Will Solace is a Dork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 54,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solangeloandtheolympians/pseuds/solangeloandtheolympians
Summary: If you want a story with 1) a plot, 2) Solangelo, 3) regular updates & 4) all kinds of tension, then this is for you!! <3High school is a time of messing around, meeting new people, and stressing over grades. Well, that's how it was supposed to be.After the tragic death of his sister due to her involvement with a gang two years ago, Nico is finally recovering. He has a newly discovered half-sister, plenty of friends, solid mental health. And Will Solace, of course.But when gang activity starts to reactivate and he has the opportunity to find his sister's killer, Nico starts to fall off course. Balancing normal high school with his newfound project of vengeance is far from simple, and he finds himself closing in. Being open isn't an option, not even with Will.Especially not with Will.Even when life starts to turn around, the swing of death comes back again, knocking him back to square one. Growth isn't linear, something he is starting to figure out.As he braves the battle of hormones, deceit, and self-discovery, he will learn many important lessons and truths, discovering how to open wide, even when the walls are closing in.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Calypso/Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Paul Blofis/Sally Jackson, Thalia Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano
Comments: 182
Kudos: 130





	1. Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Hello beautiful people! I will be updating hopefully every few days with a new chapter, but it really just depends on my workload! This is a high school AU of primarily Solangelo. There is cursing. There will eventually be making out, but no smut (and if you aren't comfortable, it will be clear what to skip over). PLEASE give feedback!!

_Shit._

Nico scrambled to get ready, tossing his books in his backpack. One would think after years of school, he would be prepared to leave on time, but here he was, cursing up a storm, compiling his needed supplies, and paying for his procrastination. God, how long has it been since he'd seen him? Two months? Three?

He ran down the two flights of stairs and was out the door. There was a beat-up yellow jeep pulled up against the side of the road, terribly bright in the early morning. Will Solace sat idly in the driver's seat, singing loud to some old song. And just like that, the feelings crashed back into him, accompanied with all the memories. Will, bandaging his hands after his first fight two years ago. Will, scolding him for not eating lunch. Will, making him so damn confused, but in the best way possible. 

Will had been at a doctor-in-training bootcamp across the states all summer, and seeing him in person again was a shock to his system.

And on cue, Will turned to him, grinning like a fucking idiot.

“Nice of you to join us!”

Nico slipped into the seat, raising his eyebrows. “Us?” God, what the hell did Will _do_ over the summer? His shoulders broader, his legs stronger, his jawline sharper. And not to menti-

“Um, yes! Don and I are bonding!” He cleared his throat as the next verse came around. “-players tried to take the field! The marching band refused to yield! Do you recall what was revealed? The day the music d-“

Nico turned the volume down, giving him a glare. “Can you just drive the fucking car? We’re already late.” 

The taunting smirk Will gave back made his insides squirm. “Can you just ask nicely?”

Nico crossed his arms. Will laughed and rolled out into the road. Nico tried not to think about how good he looked, with his startling blue eyes, perfect skin, and golden hair. He even managed to make the nerdiest Star Wars shirt — Nico’s brain couldn’t read the meme this early, but he knew it was probably a cringy one — look good. He would have seemed like every other high schooler, except for the fact that, you know, he was fucking hot. 

It only took a few moments before Will was rambling about his summer. Apparently, medical camp entailed a lot more than Nico originally thought. He mentioned something about swimming, but just as quickly began to talk about his teacher.

“And the instructor was _so_ smart. Dr. Bruner literally knew everything. I was _in love_ with him, Nico.” Will turned the radio up again, and by then Whitney Houston had taken the radio reigns.

Nico snorted. “I’m sure he was a total catch.” 

Either Will didn’t catch the sarcasm or he ignored it, because he turned to Nico with curious eyes. “How was your summer?” 

Nico shrugged, looking out the window. “Fine.”

Will faltered for only a moment. “Oh, come on, you had to have done _something_ fun!”

"Not really."

Instead of pushing him farther, the music became the center of attention. After five minutes of Will belting the lyrics to “One Moment in Time”, most notes being ridiculously held-out and off key in a poor attempt to imitate Whitney Houston, they finally pulled up to the school. 

Goode wasn’t the eye candy of high schools in the area, but it could have been worse. Students were still rushing in through the front doors. Late freshmen were frantic as they entered the grounds, while the more composed newbies gathered in groups before entering. He spotted Reyna and Jason walking in Thalia’s direction, giving several students passing high-fives. For the most part, it was just a normal high school.

Will pulled into his favorite spot and hopped out. Nico was about to ask about his schedule when a girl barreled into Will, nearly knocking him off his feet. Nico’s momentary rush of anxiety decapitated as soon as he recognized the figure. 

Will grinned. “Kayla!” 

The short-haired, freckled ginger grinned up at him, flicking her bright green locks out of her bluebell eyes. “Hey, Will!”

“The band room is _huge_.” A dark-skinned boy popped up beside her, neatly dressed with a saxophone case slung around his soldier. 

Kayla rolled. “Austin can’t stop gushing about it.”

Will shook his head. “I can imagine! Have you guys found your classes?”

Kayla raised a shoulder. “I have no clue where Mr. Zeus is. I can't even find his class on the school map.” Austin nodded in agreement.

Will laughed. “That’s a tricky one. He tends to reside on the, er, _upper_ stories?”

He gave Nico a knowing look, and he sent an eye roll back to Will in return.

Nico wasn’t really sure what to think of the relationship between Will, Kayla, and Austin. Their biological father had slept around in the area, not really pausing to have a steady relationship, and the three half-siblings were a result. It was strange watching them interact so comfortably, but Nico figured it was better than the opposite.

Will waved before leading Kayla and Austin in the direction of the school, talking animatedly and smiling wide. A fond smile found its way onto Nico’s face as he watched them walk through the main entrance.

A shrill bell rang a moment later, and Nico sighed, trudging off to first period. 

* * *

After three periods of getting acquainted with his new teachers, Nico headed off to the cafeteria. Hazel quickly ushered him to the center table, where a good portion of their friend group had already gathered. He noticed Will wasn’t there, and tried to ignore the faint longing that accompanied the realization.

Lunch was strange, but hadn’t it always been?

Leo was already talking by the time Nico sat down, gushing about his engineering teacher. “Oh my _God_ , Mr. Hephaestus is _so_ cool. And the nurse is totally hot. Her name is Hygieia and she was _totally_ into me.” That earned him a solid punch from Calypso, and a collective laugh from the growing group.

Piper kicked her feet up onto the table, leaning back in her chair. “Why the hell did you get sent to the nurse?”

“He probably did something stupid,” Frank muttered. Hazel smacked his arm.

Annabeth slid onto the edge of the bench. “He definitely did something stupid."

Thalia walked over with Reyna, each of them carrying a lunch tray. “Are we talking about Leo or Percy?”

“Leo!” most of the table chorused, and the Latino got stuck between a grin and a grimace.

“Although Percy will do something stupid by the end of the day,” Annabeth pointed out. Considering he wasn’t there to defend himself, her statement held.

Rachel glanced up from her tablet, where an interesting sketch of New York buildings looked up at her. “Where _is_ Percy? Did he already get expelled?” 

“He said something about a swim team meeting.” Jason smiled at Nico, something just short of teasing in his eyes. “I think Will is with him.” Nico blushed despite himself, hastily covering it up with a sneer.

Thalia snorted. “Since when does Will _swim?_ ”

The rest of the table joined in her confusion, picking up on new conversations quicker than Nico could follow. Nico sank back into his silence, but Jason’s words offered an explanation more than anything. _So that’s why he looks like a fucking Greek god._

There were a million conversations happening at once, mostly Thalia calling out random shit and Annabeth turning it into an actual conversation. Leo would butt in with some dumbass comment every now and again, and Nico was grateful for the distractions. It was nice to be with them, even as quiet as he was. He never realized how important they were to his well-being, not even during his lonely summer. But now that they were all reacquainted, it was like a piece of him clicked into place.

After a fiery debate between Calypso, Annabeth and Reyna about some Greek and Roman battle 一 how did those empires _always_ get brought up? 一 Will and Percy came into the lunch room with the other swimmers. Katie and Miranda were towards the front, which was surprising considering their lack of athletic experience. The Stoll brothers were right behind them, being as annoying as they could be while still avoiding decapitation. Paolo Montes was quietly walking alongside. The swim teams were large groups, and growing still, and really brought out the diversity of their high school.

Will hopped into the seat next to Nico, snatching an apple from Leo’s tray. “Hey, di Angelo.” Leo's indignant shout was lost in the rest of the group's clamor.

Nico looked at Will warily. “The swim team? Really?” _That’s so fucking hot._

“Uh, yeah.” Will grinned, taking a bite from Leo’s apple.

Thalia snorted. “Will just wants an excuse to waltz around campus half-naked.” Hazel fanned her face, clearly uncomfortable with the change in topic. Nico also turned red, coughing into his arm. Shirtless Will did _not_ need to exist in his brain right now. The knowing look Jason gave him did not help the situation.

“Hey, we’ve all been there,” Leo said, and everyone groaned before he even finished. “When I hit my glow-up, the ladies couldn’t wait for me to-”

“What glow-up?” Frank muttered, earning him another whack from Hazel. 

Ryan regarded Leo with scrutiny. “No, Frank, he has potential.”

“ _Thank_ you. At least someone recognizes-”

“I said potential, Valdez. That means you don’t have it.”

Thalia looked at her with admiration, but Leo just grinned. “ _Yet_.”

There was a collection of laughs, and then Percy frowned, his brows pulling together. “Wait, Will, why _are_ you swimming?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Shouldn’t you know? You’re the team captain.” He rubbed the bag of his neck sheepishly.

“I needed something to keep me in shape at camp,” Will said. “There was a pool at the hotel, so it worked out.”

“Oh, right!” Thalia snapped her fingers, a sarcastic expression evident on her face. “You went to _medical_ camp because you're going to be a _doctor_. I totally forgot!”

Rachel looked up from her picture. It was considerably more colorful, complete with multiple layers of work. “She has a point, Will. You do talk about your future a lot.”

Will huffed indignantly. His expression almost brought a laugh out of Nico. _Who the hell gave him permission to be this cute?_ Conversation turned to other topics, mostly about summer activities and upcoming back-to-school events. 

“No food today, di Angelo?”

Nico scowled. “What’s it to you?” 

Will placed the half-eaten (stolen) apple in front of him. “Eat.”

Nico stubbornly set his jaw. “You don’t get to just boss me around.” _Don’t cave, don’t cave, don’t cave. I don't care how fucking attractive you are, I'm not gonna-_

He received a smirk in response. “I can and I Will.”

“You can j-“ Nico’s mouth slammed shut.

Will grinned. “It’s okay. You can laugh.”

“That was stupid,” Nico pointed out, but his lips quirked up at the corners regardless. _Goddammit_ , he thought to himself. _You fucking caved_.

Will didn’t push much farther. Nico was in some ways grateful he didn’t care enough to force food down his throat.

Try as he might to avoid it, eventually Jason caught his eye, jerking his head towards the hallway. Nico sighed, rolling the apple back to Will. Most of the table said some variation of a goodbye 一 Leo with a heartfelt, horribly pronounced ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ 一 and Nico gave a small wave in response.

Jason threw an arm around his shoulder as they walked out of the cafeteria. Two years ago, Nico would have stabbed him in the gut. A year ago, he would have cussed him out. But it was easier now, touching someone, easier than it had been in a while.

“So, Will-”

“Don’t,” Nico snapped, glaring with as much irritation as he could muster. 

“I thought you were over him,” Jason mused.

“Shut the hell up, Grace.”

Jason smiled. “But seriously.” He pulled up, and Nico hesitantly stopped walking. “How are you, Nico?”

After a moment of contemplating, Nico spoke. “I’m doing better.” 

Jason smiled. “That’s great to hear.”

Nico sighed. “Look, I know you want information, but I’m not gonna spill my guts out to you, Grace.”

The frown on Jason’s face spoke for him. “You’re still in touch with them?”

Nico glanced warily at the far table, where a few familiar faces sat in silence. He quickly brought his gaze back to Jason.

“I’m not involved with them anymore.” Nico flicked the hair from his eyes. “I’m done running with that crowd.”

“Okay, but if they ever-”

“I can handle it, Superman.”

Jason looked unsure before settling on a nod. “Okay. Okay. Just be careful.”

Nico opened his mouth, but Reyna strolled over before they could continue talking. 

“You two got Mr. Ares next, right?”

Jason smiled. “Yeah. I heard he’s got this huge weapon collection.”

“That’s what Hylla said.” Reyna cast Nico a side glance. “I noticed you avoided our debate earlier. What side are you on: Roman or Greek?”

“Why can’t I be on both?” That comment earned him a coupled laugh, and the three headed off to history.

* * *

He survived Ares class (barely). The man was obsessed with wars. He started smack dab in the middle of the seventh unit just so he could have the pleasure of informing us of how the Greeks successfully defeated the Persians. He didn’t spare one gory details.

Mr. D’s physiology class, however, was a different story.

Will settled in the seat next to him, making Nico queasy in the best way. Percy, Leo, _and_ Travis were with them as well, and their combined idiocy was almost incomprehensible. Between the class clowns, passing period was relatively entertaining, complete with classic puns (courtesy of Will) and embarrassing stories (cue Travis). In other words, class started off normal enough.

But then… roll call.

“Kaylee Andelber?”

After a few moments of silence, a small girl from the back piped up. “Um, it’s Kyla Anderbare.”

“That’s what I said, Kayla.”

It only went south from there. He managed to mispronounce every name on the list in some way. Percy went from confused to outraged to exasperated in the span of three seconds from being called “Peter Johnson”. Travis turned his new name into some sort of sex-related joke that Nico didn't fully understand, nor did he attempt to. Will made his mispronunciation into a Star Wars pun 一 he was truly a master of the Saga. It was an amusing and oddly stressful process, Mr. D taking attendance. He absolutely sucked with names.

That is, until he got to Nico.

“Nico di Angelo?” Everyone’s eyes snapped to him.

“I had your sister in my class,” Mr. D said matter-of-factly, taking a sip of his drink. “Sorry for your loss, kid.”

Nico stared at his desk quietly. He didn’t even notice when Mr. D continued taking attendance. The phrase echoed in his mind.

“Hey.” Will rested a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

Nico nodded, and was surprised to see he meant it. There had been a time where Will’s comfort would’ve sent Nico over the edge. There would have been a time that he had felt too numb to feel butterflies from the casual touch.

But now he could revel in the simple, good feelings that Will sent his way. His flaming cheeks, Will's hand on his shoulder, his speeding heart. Yeah, liking Will fucking sucked, but that’s what made it so great.

Will gave him a small smile, and Mr. D started talking. “Welcome to Psychology. You will not be needing a textbook in my class.”

There were a few murmurs from around the room and an unfiltered “Sweet!” from Leo, but Mr. D wasted no more time. “Today is your first hands-on exercise. To understand psychology, you not only need to understand yourself, but you must understand others around you. Now, take your partners hands."

Nico looked up sharply. _What?!_ The classroom voiced their concerns as well, though no one was likely as flustered as Nico.

“Take the hands of your partner.” This time, he spoke with authority, and everyone's complaints stopped in less than a second.

Was Nico overreacting? Probably. Did he know he was overreacting? Yes. Did that stop him from overreacting?

Nico blushed hard, glancing over at Will’s outstretched hands. _It’s just holding hands_ , he chided himself, hesitantly reaching out his own. _It’s just-_

“Now meet your partner’s eyes. Blink only when necessary.”

Will’s fingers wrapped around his own and Nico’s heart leaped to his throat. _You’re so fucking easy. He’s holding your fucking hand and you can’t even breathe right._

He hesitantly met Will’s gaze, his scowl failing in every way possible to cover up his brush. Will smirked, but it was light-hearted. He leaned in a bit closer, keeping his voice low.

“Your gay is showing, di Angelo.”

And for some reason, it was so fucking hilarious, that Nico laughed. 

It wasn’t out of place in the slightest, matching the absurd giggles coming from Percy and Leo. The classroom swelled with uncomfortable exchanges, from awkward greetings to random commentary on the other person’s eye color. Nico’s laughter was right at home.

Mr. D continued. “Now that you’ve had time to feel acquainted, think about the most important person in your life.”

Naturally, Bianca appeared in his mind. An ever-lingering sadness came with her, but it wasn’t crippling. It was almost comforting, in a way, to see her and still feel whole. Other people came to mind, too. Jason and his goodness. Hazel and her purity. Thalia and her cockiness. Annabeth and her wisdom. All of his friends. He called these people his friends.

And Will Solace, of course, the guy whose eyes he was currently gazing into. 

Will looked in a far off place, Nico realized, thinking about who-knows-who. He wondered what Will was thinking, of course, but he didn’t know how to ask. Partially because he wasn’t sure how to phrase the question, and partially because Will was currently holding his hands, an unplanned distraction. 

Mr. D grunted and he continued with the lesson. “Now share your answer. Study their facial expressions, their tone 一 anything that might be important.”

Will grinned. “I’ll go!” When Nico didn’t stop him (mostly because his proclamation was so fucking cute), Will jumped into his answer. “My mom is probably the most important person to me. She’s my mom, what else is there to say? When I told her I was gay, she said ‘took you long enough’. Isn’t that the best response ever? And she works all the damn time just so I can have everything I need. That kinda gives her the top spot of my important people list. Right up there with fucking Anakin Skywalker.” His ears tinted at the last comment. “I probably didn’t have to say that much, did I?”

“Probably not.” In truth, the rant made his heart stutter. Every day, no matter what, Will always managed to fluster him, even on the inside.

Will rolled her eyes. “Okay, Death Boy. What do you got?”

Nico’s smile faltered. “I… I don’t…”

Will looked at him expectantly.

Nico’s face hardened. "I'm not sharing." He pulled his hands out of Will's 一 some part of him missed the subtle pressure 一 and tucked them in his lap. The prospect of sharing something so personal was difficult for him, and he wasn't about to just give an answer. 

“Hey,” Will said, forcing him to retain eye contact. A deep blush set on his cheeks consequently. “Two years ago you would have told me to go fuck myself. I see this as an improvement.”

And two years ago, Nico would have reacted drastically to that comment. But now he could look Will in the eyes and kindly tell him to shut up.

So yeah, he wasn’t about to pour his heart and soul out, not even to Will, but he was progressing. He was getting better.

And for now, that was enough.


	2. Attraction and "Just A Talk"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crushes were supposed to become easier to navigate, but it was just getting worse. On top of Nico's growing attraction to Will, he is faced with confronting old associates. It isn't an easy thing, to balance being the life of a normal, hormone-crazed teenager and the life of the person he had once been.

Crushes were supposed to become easier to navigate, but it was just getting _worse._

Every time Will said or did _anything_ , Nico’s body, heart, or mind reacted. Not that he didn’t enjoy the frequent fantasies, but dealing with his hormones at school was a constant torment.

Not to mention pretty much everyone was insufferable.

Friday at lunch, Will had a club meeting, and the entire block he was tormented.

Leo started it up. “Hey, Nico, are you okay?”

Nico gave him a suspicious look. “What?”

“Oh, nothing.” He gave a cheeky grin. “You just look in dire need of _solace._ ”

Percy gave him a fist-bump and Nico narrowed his eyes. 

Jason picked at his salad idly. “You know, I hear Will just transferred to sixth period swimming PE. Isn’t that when you have Hedge, Nico?”

 _Will, climbing out of the pool, water sliding down every curve and-_ Nico clenched his teeth, not letting that mental image go any farther. “Shut up, Grace.”

Piper smirked. “Why, Nico? Is something wrong?”

He huffed, and Rachel jumped to speak. “You know, my statistics class was doing some research, and apparently Italian boys are more likely to be attracted to blondes.”

Annabeth looked up at that one, her gray eyes sparkling with amusement. “Yes, I heard that, too.”

Percy laughed. “Why were you researchin-” He stopped, then grinned, finally getting her line of thought. Nico sank farther into his hoodie. Reyna watched him with an amused smile and he glared in return.

Even _Hazel_ made an innocent comment, something to do with courting, and that was it for him. He shoved back his chair and abruptly stood, turning and bumping right into Will.

“Hey, Death Boy.” He placed an apple into Nico’s hand. “Don’t you know an apple a day keeps the doctor away?”

And it was so fucking smooth that Nico just stared at him. Will’s eyes glimmered _,_ and Nico remained frozen until Thalia started snickering.

“So if I eat this,” Nico said slowly, “you’re saying you’ll disappear?”

Will smirked. “Only if you want me to.” 

“I might take you up on that, Solace.”

Jason watched the scene unfold with sparkling eyes. Leo waggled his eyebrows. Nico flipped them off. 

And yes, Will and Nico’s dynamic had changed, even after a few days. They spoke in a frequent banter that Nico passed off as conversation, but to the eyes of their friends, it was quite obviously a flirtatious battle.

Nico was physically aware of Will more than he ever had been, and even the brush of his fingers sent his brain to who-knows-where. Mr. D’s class didn’t help; the man was obsessed with synergy, and his classroom started to feel less like Psychology and more like Nico’s personal hell.

It was strange, having these feelings more prominent in his life. Attraction, both physically and mentally, had been minimal, even dismal things before. But now? 

Now they were big things. If he was going to have a crush on Will, he wasn’t going to half-ass it.

* * *

Nico had thought Jason was joking, but it turned out Will _had_ transferred PE periods. They walked from Mr. D’s class together, complaining about Psychology. 

“We’re not even learning anything,” Will exclaimed, somehow still maintaining his sunny disposition. “It's like he’s playing matchmaker or something. Did you _see_ Travis flirting with Kyla?” Nico snorted, ignoring the fact that Will implied Mr. D was matchmaking _them_. That hit too close to home.

“Travis flirts with everybody.”

“That he does.” 

“I’m surprised he’s still single.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Um, are you _blind_ ?” Will whistled. “Travis is fucking _uh-track-tiv_.”

The statement was so incredulous that Nico couldn’t even be upset. “Oh my _God_ . You have the hots for _Travis_?!”

Will threw his hands in the air. “You _don’t_?!”

Nico burst into laughter, covering his mouth with a hand. “Even Leo is better than a Stoll.”

Will’s lips twisted, but his eyes still gleamed. “Don’t tell me you’re crushing on _Valdez_.”

Nico rolled my eyes. “Not really my type.” Nico half-expected Percy to round the corner calling “Heard that before!”, but thankfully he was nowhere in sight.

Will rolled his eyes. “I’m starting to think you don’t even have a type.”

“Probably not.” _My type is you_. 

They pulled up at the gym, and Will groaned. “ _Shiiit._ I totally forgot to tell you. I have to run by the store to pick up fabric quilts after school. You gotta catch a ride with Jason.”

Part of Nico wanted to come with him, but he didn’t say anything. “Since when are you a quilter?” 

“Since my baby cousins were born, apparently. I’m helping out my mom. Now, _she’s_ a quilter.” Will grinned. “I’m just an assistant.”

“Take off the ‘-istant’ and you’re right.” The minute warning bell rang and Nico opened the door to the gym.

It only took Will a second to get it. “Rude!”

Nico couldn’t help but laugh as he stepped inside. 

Fate either loved him or hated him, because the swim team did not end up swimming during PE, meaning one Will Solace was properly clothed in every aspect. The team dispersed among the rest of the classes, meaning Will got all close and personal with Nico the moment he could. To be annoying, of course.

As Nico rose to the top of his sit-up, there was suddenly a pair of blue eyes. “Hey, di Angelo.”

Nico turned red and returned to the floor. _Holy shit._ “What the fuck, Solace?” _His freckles._

Will offered a hand. “You never fail to make me feel welcome, Death Boy.” 

Nico took it, ignoring the little flames that ricocheted from finger to finger, and rolled his eyes. “What happened to swimming?”

Will smirked. “Why so interested, di Angelo?”

 _God, I can just_ see _you in the water._ Nico dropped down into a plank hold, shaking the image from his head. “If I’m going to be cursed with your presence for the next hour, I might as well know why.”

Will took that graciously. “Well, _apparently_ the pool has to be inspected for some mandatory cleaning check, especially before the upcoming competition, and Coach Poseidon is out today. I think it was something about his horse?”

Nico’s arms were starting to shake from the plank, but he posed his question regardless. “Is it, uh, weird? Being on Coach Poseidon’s team?”

Will laid down next to him, and Nico nearly collapsed from surprise. “Not for Percy. They act like father and son. It’s just funny, y’know? How he can have a relationship with his father outside of his relationship with his mother. But Kayla and Austin and I?” He shook his head. “I’ve never even seen my d- I’ve never even seen Apollo aside from pictures.” The honesty was completely unexpected, but still so completely expected of Will. He was never one to hold back his feelings, even when no one asked for them.

Nico was sufficiently unprepared for the emotional dump, his brain forming sentences compiled of _um_ and _uh_ , but thankfully, Coach Hedge came to the rescue. “Solace! Why are you distracting my students? Don’t make me use this bat!”

Scratch that. Coach Hedge came to wreak havoc.

Will hopped to his feet. “My bad, Hedge!” he called back across the room. 

Nico finally broke his hold, rolling onto his back with a sigh. “See you tomorrow.”

Will grinned, almost as if he hadn’t been vulnerable a moment before. “See you tomorrow.” 

* * *

Jason jumped at the opportunity to give Nico a ride home ー or rather, the chance to endlessly harass him.

“You look like a kid in a candy shop.”

“That’s the most basic analogy,” Nico muttered, though he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“You got it _bad_.”

“Why didn’t I just ask Hazel for a ride?”

“She has lacrosse practice.” Jason grinned. “And besides, every day you get to ride with me is a good day.”

“Can you take off the fucking positivity filter, Grace?”

Jason ignored the comment. “Did Will tell you about the first swim meet?”

“He mentioned it.”  
“I think Percy said it’s next Saturday. You going?”

Nico looked out the window. “I guess.”

“Geez, give a little more enthusiasm.”

Nico squinted at a figure on the sidewalk as they passed. That looked like-

“Stop the car.”

His voice was chilling, and Jason didn’t even hesitate before pulling to the side of the road.

Nico glanced back down the road, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Give me one minute.”

Jason followed his gaze, then set his jaw. “Nico, you can’t-”

“One minute,” Nico said, not willing to meet his eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

Jason hesitated before nodding. “One minute. That’s it.”

Nico slipped out the door before he could change his mind.

Clarisse looked no different. Her white tank top revealed her strong build. A headband held up her boy-cut hair. She didn’t carry a weapon openly, but Nico knew better than to underestimate her. 

“How are classes, di Angelo?” She pushed herself off the wall to face him. 

“Cut the bullshit, Clarisse.” Nico cracked his fingers idly. “Where’s Chris?”

“What, you don’t want to talk to me?”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Can’t make Blondie wait a minute longer?” Her trademark sneer appeared on her face. “You’ve always been soft.”

“I don’t know if soft is the right word,” another voice cut in, and a figure stepped out from behind the next building. Nico wished it had been Chris. He was the most reasonable one. But instead...

Gone was the lanky, incapable freshman that he had once been. Octavian had toughened, both mentally and physically. He had slipped off the grid after his supposed death last year and he had changed enough appearance-wise to avoid detection.

“Nico di Angelo.” He twirled a knife in his hand, but Nico didn’t think he would use it. “It’s been a little while since we last saw you.”

“I’m not here to _catch up_ ,” Nico seethed, rolling onto the balls of his feet. “I’m here to say a few things, and then I’m gone.”

Clarisse scoffed. “What is it?” Nico could practically see the wariness in her figure, evident in the way her hand rested by her belt.

“We never found Bianca’s killer,” he said, quiet. The words were hard to say out loud, but not nearly as impossible as they had once been. “That was why I turned to you in the first place, and it did me no good. Don’t think I’m going to give you a pass if we ever go toe to toe. I don’t owe you anything.”

Octavian rolled his eyes. “Is that all?

Nico shook his head. “Don’t even think about approaaching me at school. If you want to punch me, wait until we can do it peacefully.” _Wait until I can fight you without my friends hovering around me._

“School has _always_ been the safe ground,” Clarisse shot back, “and you don’t make the rules around here.”

 _And you do?_ Nico narrowed his eyes, but stayed quiet. The worst thing he could do was aggravate her further. He didn’t want to deal with a fistfight right now. He glanced back at the waiting car a few feet behind him. Well, he wouldn’t want to get Jason involved.

Octavian smiled, and it was a sickening look, one that made it seem like he knew something Nico didn’t. “Thanks for stopping by, di Angelo. It’s good to see you.”

Once he was back in the car, Jason wasted no time, speeding off before even checking the road. Nico couldn’t really balme him.

Jason clearly had a lot to say, but Nico wasn’t having it. “That was closure,” Nico said, though he wasn’t sure if he was talking to Jason or to himself. “I’m done with them.”

Jason appeared troubled, but he remained silent, leaving Nico with his thoughts.

Nico was dropped off by Jason, and once he was inside, he got an alert. He rarely used any social media, but viewing Will’s snapchat was an exception.

The picture was clearly spontaneous. Will was giving his surprised mom a kiss on the cheek. Ms. Solace was a beautiful woman with an easy smile. Her hair curled just around her ears. Nico recalled Will mentioning that she sang part-time at local pubs. She had a ‘singer face’, as Will called it, both beautiful and full of emotion.

In the picture, she looked confused and amused, an expression identical to one Will often wore. There was a quilt-in-progress in front of them, vibrant in both color and design. Nico smiled at the picture. _What a dork_.

Once he cleared the app, he found himself alone in his empty house.

Hades was in London for the next few weeks, and although Jules-Albert was there as often as he could be ー a ghastly man with not much to say ー Nico decided to dismiss him during the day.

Which left him in his empty house.

Nico wasn’t a bad student. He could be successful, if his potential was applied correctly, which explained why all of his homework was completed by dinner time.

Not that he _ate_ dinner. A piece of toast, maybe, to hold him over. He just wasn’t hungry. 

These were the days he considered joining a team, or a competitive club, or _anything_ , really. His father could afford to place him into any activity he desired, but after all that had happened in the last few years, Nico wasn’t sure if he could handle it.

On his way to the living room, the piano came into view. 

A memory popped into his mind, but instead of making him keel over in pain, it brought a warmth into his bones. 

_“You’re playing it wrong,_ fratello _.” Bianca placed her hands over mine, pressing down the correct fingers. I looked up at her as she smiled down at me. “There you go! That’s right. Now… sing with me…”_

When he was young, back when his mom was still alive, she would spend hours teaching him and Bianca to play. It became a daily occurrence, and even when his mom passed, Bianca and him never faltered in their playing.

Without knowing, he had walked over and rested his hand against the smooth wood. When Bianca died, he stopped.

He still remembered the words and chords to _La Cura_ by heart. His mother had adapted the song for them to play together ー it turned the relatively upbeat tune to something memorable, solemn, and special. 

He nearly sat down and let his muscle memory recall the song, but he turned to the living room instead. There were multiple sofas and chairs, but Nico sat down on the floor, turning off the TV. The screen remained frozen until he pressed play, bringing the figures to life.

Over the summer, he had started watching the videos his mom and dad had compiled. Even after his mother’s death, Hades was frequently recording, making sure all memories were captured. When Bianca died, he stopped. The last video was of her funeral, though Nico wasn’t at that one yet.

He picked up where he had stopped the night before, watching as his twelve-year old self toddle back towards Bianca. Thalia was already by her side, saying something or another. Will and a few others were there as well, accompanying the di Angelos on their daily park excursion.

He felt a stab of guilt as he watched Thalia ruffle his younger-self’s hair. They used to be close, almost like siblings, in a way. But when Bianca died… He blew out a breath. They hadn’t interacted on a personal level for _two years_. Thalia probably hated him for pushing her away, for all he knew.

Watching the interactions on screen was difficult and freeing. Thalia and Bianca’s relationship was starting to sprout into something more ー though Nico knew it would take them years to finally admit it. Young Jason, undergoing his second awkward phase, engaged in chasing Piper across the grass. Will just kind of stood there, laughing at something or another, wearing his trademark grin. 

Nico couldn’t help but smile as he pulled his knees to his chest, watching his history unfold. There were many faces the video didn’t include, but the obvious stood out. 

Will had always been there, hadn’t he?

And as their young selves just let themselves be kids, he started to hum the ever present words of _La Cura_ , sending himself into a quick sleep.

* * *

How does the saying go? There’s no rest for the weary?

Well, Nico was damn exhausted. He ended up watching the films until well past two in the morning, walking into school looking like a Clawdite (whatever the hell that was), according to Will. He struggled to concentrate in his first period class, probably due to his lack of sleep. 

And then Thalia decided to step in, pulling him off to the side as he headed to second period. They looked like quite the pair, dressed in black, lurking in the hallway. Her usual cocky demeanor was significantly more subdued, and it was enough to snap him out of his zombie-like trance. 

“Jason said you talked to Clarisse.”

Nico tensed. “Jason can’t keep his damn mouth shut, can he?”

“When’d you speak with her?”

“Yesterday. It’s not like we-”

“Who else was there?”

“Octavian.” He examined his fingernails. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

Thalia studied him for a moment. “It was just the two of them?”

“That’s what I just said.” Nico sighed. “We were clearing things up, that’s it. I’m not with them anymore.”

Thalia’s voice grew cold. “That’s what you said last year.”

Nico’s face hardened. “I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

“You can’t just say that every time you don’t want to be honest.” Her eyes blazed. “I’m not going to let you go down that path again.”  
Nico gritted his teeth. The change in direction made his blood boil. “I said I’m not involved with them anymore. What part of that do you not understand?”

“What I don’t understand, Nico, is why, when you’re doing so fan-fucking-tasic, that you are still pushing me away?” Thalia’s nostrils flared. “She died _two fucking years ago_ !”

Nico balled his fists. “Don’t you think I know that?! She was my _sister_!”

“And I was fucking in love with her, Nico.” Thalia laughed angrily. “And when she died, I thought that we could get through it together. Instead, you sought revenge. Instead, you sought out _them_. So do not get _angry_ when I’m terrified you’ll go right back.” Nico opened his mouth to speak, but Thalia didn’t stop. 

“You’re smiling now 一 _actually_ smiling 一 for the first time in fucking years. You blush like a fucking idiot around Will. You’re acting like a _normal fucking teenager_ . So when you tell me you _talked_ to them? To the gang members who made your life literal hell?” Thalia shook her head in disbelief. 

“My life was already hell,” Nico muttered. “I did what I had to do.”

“Don’t.” Thalia jabbed a finger in his direction. “Stop fucking _lying_ to yourself.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the space between them. Thalia looked downright pissed, and Nico wasn’t doing much better. They hadn’t engaged in more than group conversation for so long that Nico nearly forgot about her confrontational, in-your-face nature. 

After the burst of anger subsided, Nico was filled with guilt. It must have shown on his face, too 一 a fact he was not proud of 一 because Thalia’s eyes softened.

“I didn’t ever mean to…” Nico’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t want to…” The silent _I’m sorry_ of his words was ever-present, even in the few unfinished phrases. 

He expected Thalia to snap at him again, just to tie up any loose thoughts, but instead, she wrapped Nico in a hug.

After he overcame his shock, Nico hugged her back.

It had been so long without an embrace, Nico almost forgot what it felt like. His father had little interest in him and was almost always away on a business trip. He had distanced himself from everyone over the summer, even Hazel and Jason. Even if someone had tried to hug him, he never would have allowed it.

But right here, with Thalia, in the two minutes they spared, Nico couldn’t help but hold on a little bit tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think!! Thanks for tuning in! :D


	3. Pretty Damn Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is going pretty damn good, and Goode High School's first swim meet makes it even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a swimmer, but a family member swam in high school. I actually think swim meets are very cool environments and I tried to depict that in my writing as well! :D
> 
> Leave kudos/comment/give constructive criticism! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it! Share with your friends! <3

With his and Thalia’s relationship growing increasingly stronger and his attraction to Will grounding him to reality, not only was Nico’s life improving, but so were his friends’. 

Thalia more openly began flirting with Reyna, an observational change that altered the dynamic of their friendship in the best possible way. He presumed she had been worried to take the leap (not that she would ever admit to it) because of her strained relationship with Nico, but now that _that_ was fixed, she had free rein to flirt to her heart’s content.

Lunch became a common ground for such flirting. Starting Monday, that is.

“I would fucking marry you,” Thalia proclaimed. Yes, not the most subtle of gestures, but effective in getting her point across.

Reyna snorted. “That would require my _consent_ , Grace.”

They continued in a similar manner for the duration of the lunch, and Jason watched with bugged out eyes, only having witnessed Thalia’s full-blown flirtatious behavior a few times before. Nico was annoyed by the interactions, quite frankly, as lunch was turning into less of a light social period and more into a tense, coquettish thirty minutes of his day.

Not that he wasn’t to blame. Nico and Will were nearly always locked in coy conversation, often oblivious to surrounding events. 

Percy had recent success in his life as well. Scouts from UC Berkeley were interested by his application and had decided to attend the upcoming swim meet. He was more than excited, meaning he couldn’t and wouldn't shut up about it. There were multiple times Annabeth had to divert the conversation to architecture so he would be too confused to have something to say.

Along with advancing her knowledge about architectural studies, Annabeth teamed up with Piper to kick-start the Feminist Club. Annabeth’s logical advertising and Piper’s irresistible charm brought a good selection of students and overall success to the new endeavor.

Hazel and Frank were still going strong, a much needed constant in everyone’s lives. Leo and Calypso were in their “off” phase, but Leo had started apprenticing at a local smith shop and Calypso began volunteering at the local orphanage, so they were doing relatively well considering. Rachel was on a trip to visit her aunt in Florida. Kayla and Austin befriended a boy named Clovis and a girl named Lou, even bringing Miranda and Connor into their budding friend group. Travis finally convinced Katie to go on a date with him, probably the biggest success between everybody. Even Paolo, who was widely known to be extremely unlucky, hadn’t had any incidents for days.

Life was damn good. Nico could relish in the fact that when he woke up every morning, his past was behind him. Bianca’s death, his association with Octavian’s gang, _everything_.

And now he had the swim meet to look up to.

* * *

When Saturday came, Nico ran a bit behind. In the past week, he had started working on his health, as Will insisted. He had set up a schedule for meals and for working out, and he had lost track of time at the gym. He gave Jules-Albert a quick call, and now here he was.

The school was crowded. The swim team was by far the most celebrated in comparison to other sports, and everyone knew it. At Goode, coming to a swim meet was the equivalent of attending a football game elsewhere.

Nico weaved through the students that had already gathered, groups of half-naked swimmers and (mostly) fully-clothed supporters. He trained his eyes on the ground in front of him, the speedo-clad high schoolers making him all kinds of uncomfortable. Being gay didn’t mean he was attracted to everyone of the same gender in the same way being straight didn’t mean one were attracted to everyone of the opposite gender, but Nico wasn’t immune to the unwanted thoughts that came to mind when dozens of high school boys walked around in extremely revealing speedos.

“Hey, Nico!”

He glanced over, grateful for the distraction, and moved towards the bleachers. Jason waved him over. Kayla and Austin chatted excitedly with Lou and Clovis, though Clovis was clearly on the verge of falling asleep. Their excitement to watch Will and Miranda compete brought a smile to Nico’s face. Annabeth was rolling her eyes at something Percy said. Reyna and Thalia were talking with the volleyball team over by the concession’s stand. Everyone else in their group either was running late or couldn’t make it, but wished Katie, Miranda, Will and Percy luck. There were others swimming that Nico knew as well, but those four were the most promising.

Percy looked over and caught his eye, waving with a grin. A curse nearly fell off of Nico’s tongue. Sure, Nico wasn’t attracted to him anymore, per se, but he was still _attractive_. Nico wasn’t blind. He sat down stiffly next to Jason, who was doing a shitty job of stifling his laughter. Damn Jason and his perceptiveness. 

“This isn’t exactly your scene, is it, Nico?” As hard as he tried, Jason's attempt at a poker face did not end successfully.

Nico scowled. “Oh, fuck off.” Thalia and Reyna had come over and plopped themselves in front of Nico, swiveling around to join in the conversation.

“I would listen to him if I were you, Superman,” Thalia advised, a huge grin spreading from ear to ear. 

Jason rolled his eyes. “Nico would never hurt me.” Nico snorted and Reyna gave him a serious look that said otherwise. Thalia just patted his knee sympathetically.

And then William fucking Solace walked past, giving Nico a torturous reminder of what _real_ attraction felt like. 

You see, liking Will was one thing, but liking Will _and_ seeing him practically naked made Nico want to shrivel up in a ball and sink into the ground. 

Will’s golden hair was yet to be put into a cap, flowing around his face like he was some kind of angel. His skin was glowing in the sun, and Nico’s eyes unwillingly travelled across every inch of it. His toned arms, his finely crafted abdomen, the firm v-line traveling into his speedo...

Heat rushed down in between Nico’s legs, and he was so entranced, he didn’t even have the decency to be embarrassed. Those swim bottoms — of course, bright yellow — left little to the imagination, and a thousand scenarios ran through his hormone-crazed head, most of which should _never_ be described in detail. _Nngh... holy fucking shit those legs could probably-_

Jason leaned over casually, nudging Nico. “So are you done eye-fucking Will or...?”

Nico turned beat red, barely able to pry his eyes away from Speedo Will. “Shut the fuck up, Grace.” Thalia leaned backward and winked at Nico, while Reyna just chuckled. Nico groaned and buried his face in his hands, but the _thoughts_ kept swarming his mind. He had never wanted as much physically as he did with Will, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

On a normal basis, there weren’t _that_ many daydreams, but there were some. Nico personally didn’t think it was his fault; blame Will for looking like a fucking Greed god.

Percy called out over the bleacher chatter to get Will’s attention. “Hey, Solace!” 

Will turned quickly, giving Nico a full frontal image that did _not_ help his situation. _Holy shit_ , he thought, crossing his legs, while simultaneously scolding his over-eagerness. _Holy fucking shit._

Will waltzed over and why the fuck did that motion send shivers down Nico’s spine? 

Percy stood and high-fived Will. “We’re totally winning this time.”

Will laughed. “Hell yeah. Are the scouts here yet?”

“Yeah.” A touch of nervousness entered his voice. “They’re talking to the Dad right now. I’ve already introduced myself.” 

“With minimal stuttering,” Annabeth added hopefully.

Percy’s mouth dropped open. “I stuttered?!”

She rolled her eyes good-naturally. “Only a little.”

He let out a horrified groan, and the rest of the bleachers started to laugh. Leave it to Annabeth to set the record straight. 

Percy ran off to find his mom and her new husband, giving his girlfriend the evil eye beforehand.

Meanwhile, Nico was completely focused on _not_ focusing on Will, keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

Will smirked, heading over to where Nico was sitting. “Glad you came, Death Boy.”

Nico nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He let his eyes rise to Will’s, then instantly regretted it. He could practically feel Jason shaking with laughter, but his mind was overly focused on _Will._

Will’s eyes sparkled and he leaned in. “Wish me luck.”

Nico sputtered helplessly. “Uh...” When Thalia snorted at his poor attempts at conversation, he didn’t even have enough tact to kick her in the back.

Before he could manage to say anything remotely understandable, Will was gone, jogging off with Percy to the rest of his teammates. 

_God, that ass_ . Nico bit his lip. _Dammit, Will_.

Piper decided to join them then, sitting down right behind Jason. “Sorry I’m late.” She rolled her eyes. “My dad had a last minute meeting. What did I miss?”

Jason tilted his head back, shrugging. “The first race hasn’t even started. The most exciting thing was watching Nico’s head fantasies about Will start up-“

Nico forced himself to respond, even though his mind was mostly, er, _elsewhere_. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Oh, you should have seen him.” Thalia whistled. “He was about to walk over and stick his ha-”

Reyna slapped a hand over her mouth. “Do _not_ finish that statement.” Thalia's eyes gleamed.

Piper smirked. “The speedo got to him, didn’t it?”

Nico scowled. “I’m right here!”

Unfortunately for the tormentors and fortunately for the one being tormented, the crackle of the loudspeaker interrupted them. Anyone not already seated quickly squeezed into the bleachers, passing snacks back and forth.

“Welcome to the first Goode High hosted swim meet!” A cheer went up from the audience, loudest of all Nico’s section, which shouldn't have been a surprise. He was seated with athletes and popular kids. The result was _always_ loud.

“We are pleased to compete against five other high schools in the area!” He listed off the names, and the _boos_ grew stronger at each name. Last year, they had tried to tame the students from Goode, lecturing them on being respectful towards the other schools, but the student body retorted by chanting a series of highly inappropriate battle chants at every sporting event.

Long story short, the staff gave up after that.

Thalia leaned across Reyna to talk to Annabeth. “What’s Percy competing in?”

She smiled. “He usually does 200-yard individual medley, 500-yard freestyle, and 100-yard breaststroke. There isn’t room for any more events per person, but I’m sure Coach Poseidon is trying to pull some strings, with the scouts here and all.” Nico wanted to ask what Will was doing, but figured he’d know soon enough.

Like the mind reader she is, Annabeth glanced back at Nico. “Will is doing the 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle relay, and the 400-yard freestyle relay.” There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You’re welcome.” A soft chorus of _ooooo_ ’s came from those surrounding them on the bleachers, and Nico turned bright red.

Kayla tapped Annabeth’s shoulder, and the blonde turned around. “How do you know what all the swimmers are doing?”

Annabeth lifted a shoulder. “It’s a secret-”

“She studies!” Piper called out, earning a collective laugh from the surrounding high schoolers. Annabeth didn’t confirm or deny her claim.

“First up, we have the 200-yard medley relay…”

Each event started with the girls, then led to the boys. Nico actually found himself interested, studying the different strokes and speeds. Goode was easily the fastest school by a longshot, but it was cool how even if a team didn’t do well, individuals could still succeed. Nico was slowly realizing why Will had taken an interest. Although it was a team-oriented sport, at least at the high-school level, there were personal victories along the way.

Percy’s event was up soon, and the entire bleachers hollered in encouragement. He was shaking nervously, cap and goggles secured in place, but had a pure determination on his face. They all got set, perched on the diving platforms. The moment the horn sounded, they were off.

It was a different thing, watching people move so effectively in the water. Although Percy was by far the strongest swimmer in the pool, each of the students moved with coordination and ease. Well, coordination, ease, and _a lot_ of splashing, though he supposed that was to be expected.

When he finished first, the look on Percy’s face brought a roaring cheer from the Goode students. Sally and Paul were loudest of all, even from the other side of the bleachers. No one was surprised by his victory, but it was still exciting.

After the first three events, Will’s turn came up. He was biting his lip nervously, fiddling with his goggles and readjusting his cap. Nico softened at the sight. He was usually so confident that sometimes Nico forgot he had human tendencies, too. 

“On your mark…” Will started to bend his knees. “Get set…” The swimmers dropped into their stances. The horn blared, and they dived into the water. 

Butterfly looked challenging, to say to least. The way they moved and applied their bodies was completely different than Nico had expected, and extremely impressive. Will used his broad shoulders to his advantage, as well as his legs, battling in the top three spots. It became apparent halfway through that he wouldn’t win, not with the experience of some of the other swimmers, though he would get pretty damn close.

Nico found himself smiling. Will always worked so hard. He was already doing well, despite his late start. _And as a result_ , Nico thought, _he has the body male models strive for_ . And even if he was any less muscular, Nico _still_ would have thought the same thing. Any Will was an attractive Will. That was a universal law.

He ended up getting second, and was absolutely pumped. Watching him climb of the pool ー _and holy fuck his back_ ー with sheer elation on his face made Nico’s heart do a big, happy flip-flop. 

Seeing Will so elated made him smile.

At intermission, Will came over and caught his eyes, jerking his head towards the concession stand area. On impulse, he stood and squeezed his way out of the bleachers, ignoring Thalia and Jason’s suggestive looks. Those Graces were the worst.

“Thanks for coming.”

Nico looked up in surprise as Will stopped walking. “I mean, uh, it’s a school event.” _And I wanted to support you._ He was growing increasingly grateful for the towel wrapped around the swimmer, else he wouldn’t have been able to form a coherent thought, let alone speak.

Will gave a smile that made Nico’s heart flutter in an embarrassingly school-girl type way. “But still. It means a lot to me.” Will scrutinized him for a moment before smirking. “You ate breakfast today.”

“What- Yeah. I did.” Nico scratched his head. “Uh, how did you know?” He tried to ignore the fact that Will just gave him an approving once-over. (He failed, land the thought turned his brain to complete mush).

“I’m your doctor, Mr. di Angelo,” he said seriously. “I know these things.” An unexpected thrill shot down Nico's spine at the way Will addressed him. God, he was _so_ screwed. 

Nico managed to reply. “You aren’t a doctor yet, Solace.”

“Just you wait.” Will smirked, stretching out his arms. His towel shifted and Nico quickly looked back up to his face. “I’ll be giving you a full body check up in no time.” 

Nico turned beat red, because holy _shit_ he did _not_ just say that, but before he could overcome the insinuations laid out in that sentence, and the effects Will’s word had on him, the whistle blew and Will was gone and _holy fucking shit did he really just-_

Nico returned to his seat, flipping Piper off when she snickered at his expression.

* * *

Even if individuals did not place first, there was a good energy that bounced from event to event. Katie Gardiner did relatively well in all her races, but Miranda struggled against some of the older girls. Travis and Connor ended up doing okay, but they mostly participated in relay races. Percy finished in first place every time, surprising absolutely no one, and Will contributed to the relays to receive second and third place.

Will came over after his last event with Percy and some of the other swimmers. They were immediately attacked with an onslaught of congratulations from more people than Nico could count. In the midst of the clamor, Will found his eyes again. Nico sent him a thumbs up, to which he received a blinding smile.

The match went overall as planned, with Goode having a clear lead over its opponents, until an announcement was made over the loudspeaker. “Please hang tight for results. The men’s 500-yard freestyle is under review for a false start.”

Everyone quieted and the blood drained from Percy’s face. That was by far his best event. He was leagues ahead of any other swimmer, finishing nearly a whole lap before them. It was exactly what he needed to impress the Scouts, but if something were to disqualify him…

He turned to see Percy’s reaction, watching him drop his head onto Annabeth’s shoulder. “...wiped the floor with those guys,” he was saying, though Nico had to strain to hear. “Even if… a millisecond earlier… wouldn’t even matter!... fucked this up.”

She smacked him on the head then kissed his cheek, raising her voice in that commanding way of hers. “Compose yourself, Seaweed Brain.” She lifted his chin. “When the scouts call you over, you acting _confident_ is more important than whether or not you started early.” Her tone was berating, but anyone could see the softness in her face.

Nico smiled watching them. When he was younger, and confused, and dealing with a lot, he had thought he’d felt something for Percy. It was a silly crush, really, nothing as validated and real as with Will, but he remembered feeling jealous every time Annabeth would interact with him. Now he saw her for who she was, and it was such a damn good feeling. She was good for Percy, and she was good for herself.

Coach Poseidon called Percy over and he quickly straightened, squeezing Annabeth’s hand before walking over to the awaiting scouts.

After a while of waiting, the race was ruled against Percy’s favor, but thankfully, the scouts had no qualms with it. He came bouncing back with a giant grin on his face. 

“They were impressed! They said they weren’t at all fazed by the change in ruling. Apparently, officials always lean on the side of disqualification if an individual is especially fast.” He pointed to himself, beaming, then wrapped his girlfriend in a bear hug. “They’re coming to the next meet, too, just to see!”

Annabeth shoved Percy back a bit. “Don’t strangle me!” He apologized, though the look on his face made it clear he was far too excited to feel sorry. 

Piper hopped down the bleacher steps, turning to the student crowd. “Ice cream at Morgensterns!” A cheer went up, and it only escalated when the loudspeaker clicked back on, officially announcing Goode’s win.

The swimmers headed off towards the locker rooms and Nico smiled. As long as he had Will, his friends, and ice cream, life was pretty damn good.

* * *

“Aren’t you gonna, er, go change?”

Nico had noticed Will waiting outside the locker room. Considering he was still wearing a towel around him, Nico took the risk to go talk to him. Will’s reaction was anything but what he expected.

The blonde glanced over, an obvious pink tinting his cheeks. “I, uh, usually wait.”

 _Is he embarrassed?_ Nico raised his eyebrows. “Why?” 

Will’s cheeks darkened further, and Nico curled his toes. _God, why would you ask that? You’re such a fucking-_

“I don’t know.” Will ran a hand through his hair. “I mostly just feel uncomfortable. I… well, I, uh… I don’t want to violate their privacy.”

Nico stared at him for a moment before the gears clicked. “This is because you’re gay.”

Will’s ears tinged with red in a way that Nico found positively adorable. “Well, yeah.”

“You don’t want to change with them because you’re gay?”

Will groaned. “How many times do you need me to say it?”

Nico opened his mouth, closed it, then let out a burst of laughter. “Oh my _God,_ that’s-”

“I know it’s stupi-”

“-dorable.”

Will’s brow furrowed. “What?”

 _Shit, did I say that out loud?_ Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, er, nothing.”

There was a collection of growing laughter and a large number of swimmers came out of the locker room, Percy in the heart of the group. 

He grinned at the two of them. “Oh, there you are Solace. I see you picked up a-”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Nico warned. “Not one word, Jackson.”

He laughed, then moved to catch up to the other swimmers. “See you guys at Morgensterns!”

“I’ll only be a minute.” Will, true to his word, didn’t take long to change. He waltzed out in normal jeans and a t-shirt, still managing to look hella hot.

Will smiled broadly at him, and Nico’s heart swelled. “Shall we?” 

Nico rolled his eyes. “Dork.” _We shall._

* * *

Ice cream at Morgensterns was amazing, as always. There was a large variety of options and a large number of students showed up. They filtered in at different times, but nearly sixty high schoolers had come to the ice cream shop since the meet ended. If that didn't tell you something about Goode, what did?

After giving congratulations and saying goodbye to any friends ー with the exception of Jason and Thalia, they were being insufferable about the whole _Will_ thing ー Will drove Nico home. They talked about the meet, then about Will’s quilting projet, and just relaxed. It was nice, not to feel pressured, to just exist with someone.

Because as much as Nico was head over heels for Will, they were first and foremost _friends._

When Will pulled up at his house, there was an unprecedented awkward silence before Will cleared his throat.

“Well, uh, thanks for coming to the meet-”

“Yeah!” Nico wrung his hands, blushing. “Uh, I mean, it was no problem.”

Will smiled with a softness that melted Nico’s insides. “Goodnight, Nico.”

“Uh, well, I -” Nico closed his mouth, and Will leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Nico turned red, speeding off to the front door after a flustered "goodbye!", fumbling with the house keys. If he had turned back, he would have seen Will smile. To anyone else, Nico would have looked like he was running off in frustration, but Will knew. 

And both boys went to bed with a smile on their face, knowing what they knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a swimmer, but a family member swam in high school. I actually think swim meets are very cool environments and I tried to depict that in my writing as well! :D
> 
> Leave kudos/comment/give constructive criticism! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it! Share with your friends! <3


	4. The Salvation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will are closer than ever, and Nico's health and strength have significantly improved. But despite this, trouble starts to arise, making Nico question whether his life has really turned around for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

“Hey.”

Nico stared at Will, fighting down the blush on his cheeks. He was wearing a muscle shirt that did _many_ favors for his body. His shorts were long enough to just avoid giving Nico a heart attack. And his hair, and always, fell perfectly around his sun-kissed face.

Nico gulped. “Uh, hey.” Will’s gaze traveled up his frame. Nico adjusted his black tank top. Contrary to Will, his shorts were on the shorter side. 

Will dragged his eyes back up to his face. “Ready to go?”

More heat rushed to Nico’s cheeks. “Er, yeah. Let’s go.”

When Will opened the car door for him, Nico nearly lost it. He wanted to scream, _Could you stop being a gentleman for five fucking seconds so I can compose myself?_ but he settled for relishing in Will’s attention. 

Since the first swim meet, Will had made the executive decision to loop Nico into his work out schedule. They went at least four times a week to the gym, usually grabbing something to eat afterward. Despite Nico’s initial grumbling and attitude, he was benefitting from the habitual change. He was healthier, stronger, and more physically capable than he had been in a while. Nico could see _and_ feel the improvements.

Even after a month passed following the steady arrangement, Nico _still_ got flustered around Will. Maybe it was the fact that they were doing couple-y things. Maybe it was the fact that they spent so much time together. Maybe it was the fact that Will had kissed his cheek one fucking time, no matter how fleeting.

Or maybe it was just because it was Will.

 _And that damned shirt_ , Nico thought as he adjusted in the passenger seat. Not that he was complaining.

Nico was unsurprised to find ABBA playing full blast. _The Name of the Game_ was on, and Will sang without filter, impossibly horrible for as good of a singer as his mother was. Still, Nico found it endearing. He even went as far as to hum along. You see, being with Will (not _with_ with him, but still) had consequences, one of them being the memorization of many, _many_ songs.

They pulled into their signature parking spot at the gym, waltzing in like they owned the place. The girl at the front desk immediately perked up. Her name was Baina, and she was a tall girl with lovely dark skin and short hair. She pushed the sign in form to them and smiled.

“Hey, Nico! How are you?” She did this every time they came in, and although at first he was too flustered and taken aback to properly reply, Nico had mastered his go-to response.

“I’m okay,” Nico said quietly, signing his name on the paper and flicking his hair out of his face. “How are you, Baina?”

A broad smile lit up her entire face. “I’m doing great! You look really good today, Nico.” Nico smiled shyly, somewhat confused by her complement, but Will ushered him through the double-doors into the main room before he could puzzle it out.

“When is she gonna get a clue?” Will rolled his eyes. “Those shorts you're wearing are a dead give away. It’s like she’s blind to all your, well, gay-ness.”

“Huh?” Nico furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

Will blinked. “Nico, you know she’s hitting on you, right?”

“ _What?!_ ” He paled, then turned red. “No, she’s not!”

Will laughed, setting his water in the nearest cubby hole. “You seriously didn’t know?”

Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, she was just being _nice_.”

“Oh my God.” 

“She’s a girl!” 

“So?” Will placed a hand on his shoulder, making Nico’s heart all jittery. “Just because you don’t like _them_ doesn’t mean they don’t like _you_.”

“Let’s just work out,” Nico grumbled, earning another golden laugh from Will.

Will had worked directly with him for the first week, teaching him the best exercises. He showed Nico how to work the different stationary machines and the best ways to manage his time. He got the hang of it after the first week, and now he could work out safely away from Will.

Of course, Nico _wanted_ to be near him, but he _needed_ to escape the hormone-inspired thoughts that overcame him from watching Will work out. Sweat plus muscles plus Will plus close proximity equaled something very, _very_ deadly.

It seemed that most days, however, Will did not share the same concerns.

He always was close to Nico, using a machine next to him, doing push-ups close by, or even just switching what he was doing entirely. It drove Nico absolutely mad. He was certain it looked like a game of cat and mouse, Will chasing him as he practically ran away.

Nico let out a breath as he completed his last set at the Leg Press Machine, trying to pay attention to Will’s rambling. “And then Mom nearly dropped the quilt in the mud, and of course I freaked out, which made her freak out, but thankfully, she didn’t end up dropping it!” He slowed the treadmill down to a walk, grinning. “We’re almost done sewing, though. We should have it finished by the time my cousins come into town.”

Nico wiped the sweat from his brow with his towel. “I thought your family lived in California. Their mom is okay with them missing school for a week?”

Will grinned. “Well, you see…’ He crouched, placing his finger on Nico’s thigh. “They’re only about this tall. Missing school isn’t much of a problem for them.”

 _Holy fuck he’s touching my thigh he’s definitely doing this on purpose fuck he could totally-_ “Oh. That’s fun, I guess.” _Finally, you didn’t stutter. Here’s a fucking gold star._

Will hopped back up. “It’s not easy wrangling six kiddos.”

Nico’s eyes widened. “Six?”

“Yeah. Aunt Adelaide has triplets, twins, _and_ a new baby.” Will laughed, shaking his head. “She’s absolutely insane for having so many children, but it’s also fucking great. They _idolize_ me.”

Nico wrapped his towel around his neck. “I’m sure they’re just scared of you. A tall, muscular blonde singing at the top of his lungs 24/7? Absolutely terrifying.”

Will winked. “Ah, so you think I’m muscular.”

“You’re so full of it.” _And, uh, obviously. You look like a fucking god._

They walked out together and marked the sign-out sheet, but some form of guilt kept crawling in Nico’s gut upon seeing Baina. He felt like he _owed_ her an explanation. She would just keep hitting on him unless he specified his, er, lack of interest, and he didn’t want to deal with that. God, why was he so concerned with this? Was Will turning him soft? One glance at the blonde spurred butterflies in his stomach, confirming his suspicions.

“Hey, Will, do you think you could wait up a minute?” Nico bit his lip. “I’m gonna talk to-”

“Go tell her.” Will shoved him gently towards the counter.

Nico gave him a short-lived glare before turning to Baina. “Er, hey.”

Her eyes lit up. “What do you need?”

“Well, you see, I, uh…” Nico glanced back at Will, who gave him an encouraging nod. “I’m, uh, gay. I just… I- I thought you should know?”

“Oh my God, really?!” Baina’s eyes widened. “I had no idea.” 

Nico chuckled despite his stress. _No shit._

“I’m so embarrassed! Was I really that obvious?” She sighed wistfully. “I guess I was just too excited! I mean, you are literally _the hottest boy_ I’ve ever seen. You’re super reserved, but your ass is literally toned as fuck and your jawline is going to like, cut through my heart, or something.” Her upfron-ness completely threw him off, and he felt his face flame up in embarrassment. And _she_ didn’t even have the decency to blush!

“Oh my God.” Realization dawned on her face. “Are you two like, together? Because that would make _so_ much sense.” Nico turned red, but Will just smirked. 

“We’re not, er-” Nico cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, no. Will and I aren’t d-dating.” 

“Oh, sorry!” Baina shook her head. “There I go again! Not paying close enough attention!” Nico cast Will a pleading glance, and, being the gentleman he was, Will swooped in for the rescue. 

“This has been a lovely conversation, Baina, but Nico and I really should be going.”

“Of course, of course,” she said hurriedly, waving them off. “Have a wonderful day!!”

* * *

“Oh my God, you fucking _lady-slayer_.”

Nico buried his face in his hands. 

Will raised his voice in an attempt to mimic her. “Your ass is literally toned as fuck! Your jawline is going to cut through my heart!” He laughed his loud laugh, driving out of the parking lot. Nico’s face burned brighter from Will’s quotation, despite him only repeating what Baina had said.

“Oh my _God_ ,” Will wheezed, “it’s like she writes cheesy romance novels.” 

Nico threw up his hands in exasperation. “You’re that person who _reads_ cheesy romance novels!”

“What?!” Will looked absolutely appalled. “I do not!”

“So you can sing to fucking _ABBA_ on repeat but you can’t admit to your reading preferences?”

“Fine.” Will rolled his eyes. “If it makes you happy, I’ll have you know that I read steamy, cheesy, gay, Star Wars fanfiction and I _like_ it.”

Nico choked. “I wasn’t serious!”

Will turned bright red. “Oh.”

Nico threw his head back and laughed, completely dissolving into his amusement. It wasn’t often he let down his guard so completely, but he found it happening more and more often with Will. He heard the ABBA track start up again, but he just couldn’t stop laughing. Will grumbled something about ‘stupid cute Italian boys’ that was quickly overun by the music.

“You know,” Nico said contemplatively, after his giggles subsided. “I don’t know why she said all those things, anyway. It was all pretty extreme.”

Will immediately scoffed. “What the hell?”

Nico blinked. “Huh-”

“She said all those _things_ because they are fucking _true_.”

Nico’s brain short-circuited, and he proceeded to produce another intellectual, “Huh?”

Will shook his head in disbelief. “Never mind.” He turned up the volume, instantly belting as the chorus of _Voulez-Vous_ rolled in.

They arrived back at Nico’s house soon enough, and Will was apologizing for the seventeenth time. “I’m sorry we can’t grab something at McDonald's today.” He walked Nico to the front door and stopped, giving him an expectant look. “Promise me you’ll eat something?” 

Nico rolled his eyes, smiling regardless. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Doc.”

He fiddled with his house key before turning back to Will. “Hey, uh…” He took a deep breath, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “I know I act annoyed by how much you pester me about my health, but, uh, thank you.” He chewed the inside of his cheek, feeling his face heat up. “I feel a lot better than I have in a… a long time.”

Will gave him a tender smile. “Well, I care about you.”

“Uh…” Nico mentally berated himself for being incapable of speaking. “Um, yeah.” _God, I care about_ you _. So fucking much._

A smirk curved Will’s lips, and Nico instantly sensed a change in the atmosphere. “By the way…” He backed towards his car, biting his lip. “Baina was spot on. You look really damn good.”

And that was how Nico di Angelo died.

* * *

Hades stood in the kitchen, talking in a low voice on the phone. Nico didn’t notice him for a moment, trapped in the land of Will, but when he came back to the present, his bubble of elation deflated.

Hades hung up after a few moments, turning to Nico with his cold eyes. “Son.”

“Father.”

The tension was suffocating, but neither of them tried to break it.

Nico shifted his weight onto his other foot. “You’re home early.”

“The deal fell through sooner than planned.”

“Ah.”

Another silence.

Hades slipped his phone into his bulky coat. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“I can have Jules-Albert fix you something.”

“I can handle it myself.”

“Oh?”

Nico felt his face harden, and he turned towards his room.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Apollo’s kid.”

He froze. “What did you say?”

“Don’t pretend I’m okay with you-”

Nico whirled, anger clearly splayed across his face. “He’s _Naomi’s_ kid, not Apollo’s.”

Hades slid his coat off of his shoulders, setting it on the counter. “How is there a difference? What does she do for a living? Works as a waitress? Sings on the side? She’s about as accomplished as I was at your age.”

“Not everyone is… is as _lucky_ as you are.”

“I built this empire from the ground up,” Hades said, and his deceptively calm voice did nothing to cover up the unmasked flames in his eyes. “You are privileged because _I_ worked for it.” _And Will is privileged because he has a mother he can quilt with. When's the last time you fucking spent time with me?_

Nico turned towards his room, his hands curling at his side. Hades was right, in some respect. He _had_ built his business from nothing. Nico _was_ privileged.

But faulting Will? That's where he was wrong.

His phone buzzed once, then twice, and he hesitantly picked it up. ‘Uh, hello?” Jason took a moment to respond, and when he did, Nico sucked in a breath.

“Piper and I broke up.” Nico wasn’t surprised, but he fumbled over his words. _What does he_ want _me to say? Totally saw it coming, bro?_

“I, uh, I…” Nico’s brow pulled together. “That sucks.” He avoided saying ‘I’m sorry’. He had learned how empty the phrase could seem, especially in these situations.

“Yeah.” He heard Jason give a defeated laugh. “Yeah, it does. Just thought I’d let you know.” He paused before continuing. “It was a long time coming. She knew it. I knew it. But, well…”

Nico sat down hard on his bed. _Should I say something else? Fuck. Will would know how to handle-_

“So how did your date go?” Jason’s tone caught him off guard, but it seemed genuine enough.

Nico pulled his knees to his chest. “It wasn’t a date.”

Jason laughed. “I can practically _hear_ your scowl.”

Nico scowled harder. “Shut up.”

“But seriously… you seem happy.”

“Yeah.”

There was a small sigh. “I should let you go. You probably didn’t need me calling you right now.”

Nico wanted to assure him it was alright, but he couldn’t bring himself to. “I have an order from my doctor to eat something.” Despite the bitterness, there was an obvious fondness in Nico’s words.

“Ohhh, so you guys have the whole doctor-patient thing going on-” Nico hung up before he could finish.

* * *

Nico made himself an omelet, then slunk into the living room. He watched the screen flicker to life. Hades must have used the television, because instead of the videotapes, Channel 7 News popped up.

Nico immediately stood up, the blood draining from his face. He set his omelet on the couch beside him, trying to process what he was seeing. 

A drone was panning across the streets, the area near Sbarro’s pizza. The small shops lining one side had clearly been broken into, the windows shattered and the valuables inside either trashed or stolen. There were small fires splayed apart, decorating the shops with bursts of red. It looked exactly like a scene from his memories. God, this couldn’t be _them_ , could it? His conclusion was quick, but reasonable. This was _their_ forte, but they had disbanded, right? They had-

“...claimed they saw at least three hooded figures minutes before the break-in,” the reporter was saying. “Similar events occurred last week on Fifth Street and three days ago on the Fourth. There have been two deaths reported so far, but thankfully, no one was harmed tonight. Officials are yet to release more information. This is Rayla Haffer, back to…”

Nico struggled to wrap his mind around it. This couldn’t be Octavian's group. As much as he hated them, they were more subtle with how they committed crime. Less extravagant. This was out there. This wasn’t concealed. 

But this couldn’t be _them_ , right? A sick feeling settled in his stomach. As much as he wanted to ignore the scene and move on, something in the back of his mind wouldn’t let him.

* * *

The next day, he couldn’t get the news out of his head. Not even Will’s dorkiness could fully push down his concerns, although it did come close. At lunch, Clarisse and Chris were drilling holes in his head. He could have been angry ー what part of no interactions at school did they not understand? ー but he had a sneaking suspicion it was related to his frequent thoughts. Before fifth period started, Nico saw them waiting by the edge of the cafeteria.

“Hey,” Nico said, eyeing Clarisse and Chris. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute.” 

Jason followed his gaze, anger crossing his features. “Really, Nico? Another _talk_?”

Nico pressed his lips together. “Trust me.”

Thankfully, Reyna swooped in, immediately pestering Jason with questions. Piper hadn’t been at their lunch table, so she must have figured out what happened between them and decided to get more details.

Jason gave him a concerned look because Nico took a deep breath, walking towards Clarisse and Chris. 

“The Salvation reformed.”

Nico chilled at the words. “Shit.”

Clarisse crossed her arms. “I’m just letting you know.”

“How can you be sure?” Nico gave her a hard stare. “They disbanded last year.”

Chris glanced down the hallway to make sure they were alone. “Some old member showed up. Brought everyone back together in less than two days. It's not pretty, mate.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “They’re already pushing your territory?”

Clarisse laughed bitterly. “Yeah. And they aren’t being clean about it, either. Two people have died, and it's only been a week. Businesses are already being stricter about lockdowns for fear they will be robbed and murdered once the sun goes down.”

“Why the hell are you telling me this?” Nico would have figured it out given time, but their willingness to hand him information was unnerving.

Clarisse opened her mouth, but Chris laid a hand on her shoulder. “We just thought you should know,” he said calmly. “You were once affiliated with us, and they are aware of that. You are at risk, just like we are.”

"Okay.” Nico looked at him cautiously. “I guess that makes sense.”

Clarisse sneared. “Don’t think that this means I like you, di Angelo. I’m just playing fair. Now if they kill you, there’s no guilt on my part.” 

“Good to know,” Nico spat back, taking a step away. “Is that all?”

Chris nodded. “Watch out for yourself, mate.”

Nico turned and strode down the hall. _Yeah_ , he thought, millions of thoughts swarming his mind. _Yeah, okay._

Ares' class went by slowly. They took a test on the most recent war they had covered, but Nico couldn't concentrate. It didn't help that Jason kept giving him concerned looks. _God, what does this look like to him?_

When Nico slipped into Mr. D’s classroom, he quickly took his seat, returning Will’s smile, though his heart wasn’t in it. Not even Will and his dorky puns could pull him out of his head.

Because if The Salvation really had reformed, all hell was gonna break loose.

* * *

Mr. D announced they would be doing group projects, sending the students into an immediate frenzy. Travis and Leo teamed up, pulling some basketball boy into their group. Percy was purely offended, but bounced over to Will and Nico within seconds. 

“Will, Nico, old friends-”

“No.” Nico crossed his arms. “There is no _way_ you are working with us.” Only half of his energy was put into the conversation. The other half was worrying about The Salvation.

“Oh, come on, three heads are better than tw-”

Nico snorted. “That only applies if the third head has any substantial brain power.” 

Will gave him an amused smile, but turned back to Percy. “We’d love to work with you.” 

“Keep me out of this,” Nico muttered. _Shit, I can’t believe they are really back. I thought… I thought…_

Percy plopped down next to them and grinned. “Sweet. We can meet at my house at five tomorrow.” 

“Make that six,” Will said with a grin on his face. “Nico and I are busy until then.” 

Nico turned red. “With _what_?!”

Will gave him a cocky smile. “I’m taking _you_ to the gym, remember?”

Percy’s eyes glimmered. “Ohhh, so you guys go to the _gym_ now.”

“Can it, Jackson.” Will rolled his eyes. “My house works for Wednesday and Thursday, but then my cousins are coming over. We don’t want to even _try_ working with that chaos going on.”

They both turned to Nico, and an additional wave of anxiety rolled over him. He _never_ had people over. The last time someone other than Jules-Albert and Hades had come inside was months ago, and Hazel only was there for an hour.

“I mean, we could always just stick to my house,” Percy offered upon seeing Nico’s expression, “or even the park by Sbarro’s pizza-”

“No.” Nico didn’t try to keep the coldness out of his voice. Sbarro’s was the last place they should be going. The Salvation boundaries practically revolved around that spot. _That was the place where they-_ “My place is fine.”

Percy blinked. “Uh, okay. Works for me.”

Will gave him a look crossed between curiosity and concern, but Nico looked away. Why did The Salvation have to come back _now_? Just when his life had turned around.

The thought he had been trying to suppress rose to the surface. _They killed her._ Bianca's death was caused by The Salvation, of that he was certain, but the question of who was still a mystery.

And yes, the gang was going to wreak havoc. They were going to cause problems. But despite that…

Nico’s hand curled into a fist on his desk, turning his knuckles a ghastly white. This might be Nico’s chance to figure out who killed his sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave kudos/comments/feedback/questions/advice! Hope you enjoy this one!!


	5. Disregarding Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since learning The Salvation has reformed, Nico only had one goal: to find whoever killed his sister. He finds himself falling into old behaviors and habits, and keeping more secrets as the seconds tick by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! You'll meet Medea (from the Trials of Apollo series) and our old friend Ethan in this chapter!

“What the hell?” Percy squinted at the assignment. “We’re supposed to have sex for this assignment?”

And this was the number one reason why Nico opted  _ not _ to have Percy in their group. 

Did Nico blame him for having dyslexia? No. Did he blame him for his struggles with school? Absolutely not. Did he blame him for being an absolute fucking moron?

Will leaned over to look at the assignment list and snorted. “It’s asking about gender. No one has to have sex.”

Nico sighed. Yes. Yes, he did.

“Hey, what about this one?” Percy’s face lit up. “It says: ‘Does physical touch have the po… potential to make someone more intelligent?’”

“No.”

They looked at Nico instantly, and Will raised an eyebrow. “Seems like a fun one to me.”

Percy grinned. “Yeah! We could test something out with Annabeth and I, and then you and Will-”

“Absolutely not.” Nico glared. “No. Next.” He was not in a blushing mood today. He was in his classic I-hate-everyone mood, and he was not going to put up with any  _ teasing _ .  _ There are bigger things to worry about. People to worry about.  _ He schooled his expression, knowing Will could pick-up on any of his concerns in a heartbeat.  _ I can’t believe they’re back. _

Come to think of it, Nico hadn’t been his dark and brooding self for a few months now. Will had been a huge contributing factor to his outwardly change. But now? With everything he had just learned?

Could you blame him?

Will rolled his eyes and Percy read the next one. “Can a person’s taste in music… uh, what does that say?”

Will smiled encouragingly. “Offer.” 

Percy’s mouth formed a small ‘o’. “Can a person’s taste in music offer hints about… their, uh… personality?” He grinned. “Or should I say Percynality?”

Nico crossed his arms. “Let’s do this one. Seems easy enough.”

Will looked offended. “It isn’t supposed to be  _ easy _ , we’re supposed to learn-”

“I’m not here to learn,” Nico muttered. “I’m here to do the fucking project.”  _ Because once I’m done, I can go see- _

“Fine.” Will searched his face for a moment before shrugging. “What emo bands do you listen to again, Nico?”

“Oh, fuck off, Mr. ABBA-is-the-end-all-be-all.”

A grin split across Percy’s face. “ _ Man _ , the sexual tension just keeps buildi-”

“Fuck you.” Nico huffed. 

“Subject, back in his true form,” Percy said, in a strangely ominous voice. “Subject appears annoyed. Subject is commonly heard using phrases containing the word “fuck”, with several variations. Subject is currently pining after-”

“You sound like you’re quoting a fucking documentary,” Nico grumbled, only futher proving his point.

Will burst out laughing. “That was  _ spot on _ , Percy.” Nico felt his lips start to turn upwards from the sound of his laughter.  _ Goddammit, Will.  _

Percy shrugged. “When you spend enough time with Annabeth, smart people stuff gets lodged in your brain.”

Nico let a sneer replace his whisper of a grin. “Considering you just said ‘smart people stuff’, I’m pretty sure you still have a ways to go.”

A higher voice cut through their rambling, tinted with clear amusement. “I see  _ someone _ woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Mrs. Jackson (now Mrs. Blofis, Nico recalled) ー though she always insisted they call her Sally ー walked over to their table, a bowl of blue cookie batter on her hip. “How are you, Nico?”

“I’m fine.” Nico sighed. Something about Sally had always been calming. Even Nico couldn’t deflect against her motherly energy. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well. You boys have until eight to work here, but then you’ll have to call it a day.”

Will beamed. “That sounds great! Thanks, Mrs. Jackson.”

She rolled her eyes. “Call me Sally, Will.”

Nico slouched back in his seat as she returned to the kitchen. _ What a people pleaser. _

Percy snorted. “Even my mom picked up on your moodiness, Nico.”

Nico scowled. “Shut the fuck up, Jackson. Let’s just start the fucking project.”

* * *

Will, Percy, and Nico were  _ not _ cut out to be on a team for a number of reasons, the most prominent being their personalities. Sure, Nico and Will had been increasingly developing a natural friendship, but adding Percy to the mix was like adding a spark to gas and watching the explosion consume everything.

Will actually was focused on the project, despite it being hard for him to focus in the first place. He was a  _ smart person _ , they decided, and was the only one actually attempting to learn. Percy kept getting confused over the instructions, and wasn’t super motivated in the first place. And Nico…

Well, let’s just be honest. He was a literal demon from hell the entire day, his usually somewhat-suppressed negativity peering out as if to say, “Hello? Did you forget about me? Let me participate!” 

After nearly two hours, they finally managed to compile a list of their music preferences. They agreed to ask their family members and their friends about their favorite artists as well, but for now, they would make due with what they had.

Will primarily listened to bands and artists such as ABBA, Whitney Houstan, Simon & Garfunkel, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Bee Gees, Cher, Fleetwood Mac, and the occasional modern artist such Adele. For the most part, he was stuck in the past, and his taste was solid. There were other obscure names crowded in the mix as well, but for the sake of the project, they limited their lists.

Percy was more into songs by U2, Imagine Dragons, Owl City, Maroon 5, and other more popular bands. He didn’t listen to music as often as Nico and Will, so his preferences were far more condensed.

Nico, of course, had some reluctance sharing his, but Will eventually coaxed a few out of him. Fall Out Boy and Panic! at The Disco were two of the main ones. He liked bands such as Orchid as well. Regretfully, he mentioned his love of twenty one pilots. He had gone through the twenty one pilots phase, pretended to hate them, and was currently obsessed again. Nico huffed, grateful they hadn’t pressed for more details.  _ I’m not about to tell them about the dozens of Tyler Joseph posters collecting under my bed. _

Will’s eyes widened. “You have  _ what _ ?!”

_ Shit.  _ “I didn’t say anything.”

“I should’ve known,” Will said in a whimsical tone. “Not that I can blame you. He’s not a bad looking guy.”

Nico scowled. “He’s fucking hot.” 

Will laughed. “Hey, believe what you want, but he could  _ never _ beat out Anakin.”

“Oh, please.” Nico snorted. “I know you’re into dangerous men, but you could do better.”

Percy looked extremely lost because a) he was straight, b) he didn’t recognize the references, and c) okay, maybe he wasn’t entirely straight but that’s not the point.

“Dangerous, huh?” Will’s eyes sparkled. “Are you dangerous, di Angelo?”

And Nico was so,  _ so  _ glad he was in a pissy mood, or else his face would have erupted in flames. “I don’t know, Solace, you tell me.”

Percy watched the exchange like a ping pong match before he finally smirked. “Wait, so-”

Sally’s voice cut through the chaos. “Cookies are ready!”

Nico abruptly stood, never so grateful for a dessert call in his life. Because whatever was about to come out of Percy’s mouth, he did  _ not _ want to hear.

* * *

“Don’t touch me!”

The sudden outburst brought a frown to Will’s face. It had been a long time since Nico had last said those words to him. 

They had left the Jackson/Blofis household ten minutes ago, and Nico was growing increasingly more tense. Without a trivial school project to focus on, his body was trembling from head to toe. He had been avoiding thinking about it, but now there was nowhere else to redirect his thoughts. As soon as he was home, he had to see them. He had to get answers.

When Will had laid a comforting hand on his knee ー a more frequently used gesture at this point in their friendship ー and asked what was wrong in that ever-so gentle voice of his, Nico snapped.

Will studied him before the green light pulled his sight back to the road. “What happened, Nico?”

Nico balled his fists. “Nothing.”  _ Only that  _ The fucking Salvation _ is reuinted. _

“You’ve been on edge all day, Nico.”

“I said I’m fine.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “At the gym, you barely even acknowledged me. It was like you were in some alternate world. And in  _ there _ you were acting like you were irritated, but I know you better than that. There’s something else. Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Nico hesitated, and he could see the momentary hope in Will’s eyes before he shot it down. “I’m fine.”

“Why can’t you just…” Will’s fingers curled around the steering wheel, and Nico couldn’t tell if he was raising his voice or lowering it. “Don’t you trust me?”

_ I trust you.  _ “This isn’t about you, Will.”  _ So much.  _ “It’s not even about me.” 

Will grew quiet, and without the radio to fill the car, there was a sickening silence.

When they finally pulled up to Nico’s house, Will sighed. “Look. I know I can’t understand what you’re going through. But don’t… don’t push me away. You don’t have to tell me. You don’t have to even trust me. I just… I don’t want to go back to square one.” He met Nico’s gaze with a look full of countless emotions. “You’re my best friend, Nico.”

_ I do trust you. I just…  _ A thousand replies rushed through his mind, but none of them seemed to work. 

Will let out a small sigh. “Can… Can I hug you? I know I should’ve asked earlier when I touched you, but you’ve been so much more receptive to physical contact and I thought-”

Nico surged forward and wrapped his arms around him. It was awkward, as to be expected with impromptu, vehicle embraces, but it was much needed, immediately easing Nico’s stress.

Will hugged him back, his strong arms resting around him, and Nico just  _ breathed _ . The moment he decided to get out of the car, he would be doing something reckless. Something he had to do alone. Something he couldn’t tell anyone about.

But for now, in that moment, he just breathed, safe in the arms of his best friend.

* * *

_ I can’t believe I’m doing this _ .

He had waited to leave his house again until Will had driven away. He felt like a freshman in high school all over, sneaking out to meet up with Octavian’s gang, clad in an oversized leather jacket with hidden knives, seeking revenge. 

Except this time the jacket fit and this time it wasn’t Octavian he was going to see, now was it?

Nico thought back to the first day of school.  _ Just be careful _ , Jason had said, in that kind, calculated voice of his. 

Nico quickened his pace. God, Jason would be pissed if he knew where he was going.

Sbarro’s was tucked right into the side of the street, nestled close with a smoke shop and a parlor. There was caution tape surrounding a portion of the area due to the recent events, but the streets were open and a majority of the shops were accessible. Nico didn’t stop to look at one thing too long. He walked on his toes, ready for anything. 

He got to the community park soon enough, though it was more of an abandoned, grassless land with a falling apart jungle-gym. The city had claimed that the park would be rebuilt in the next year, but if anything, it had just received less and less attention.

But Nico wasn’t going to the playground. He turned sharply at the edge of the last building before he reached the gates lining the back. He didn’t allow himself to overthink, instead climbing over and dropping to the ground on the other side of the alley.

That had been a difficult task two years ago. Now, it was like riding a bike.

He landed next to a large dumpster, and despite the back appearing empty, he knew better than to underestimate a gang. Especially not this one.

When he had been with Octavian’s group ー they called themselves The Sortiria, though they were less focused on labels than other gangs ー they had usually stuck to their own territory, but in some situations, they wound up here, face to face with The Salvation. It was a convenient meeting place, Nico had heard, with hidden assets and storage places. 

Octavian had been too skeptical to claim the territory when The Salvation had originally disbanded. Nico reached a hand inside his jacket, resting his hand on the edge of a knife. They should’ve taken this place while he had the chance.

“Nico di Angelo.”

It was a voice he didn’t recognize, but his senses were sharp. He turned quickly, facing a tall young woman. She was frighteningly beautiful with long, silky black hair and dark green eyes. Her skin was paper white, her arms decorated with various tattoos, and she gave a deadly smirk.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Hades’ kid, right?”

Nico didn’t answer, instead moving closer to the gate. He could very likely need a quick escape, and the way in seemed to be the only way out. Nothing about her was familiar in the slightest, yet she spoke as if she  _ knew  _ him.

He swept his eyes across the alley, and sure enough, another lean figure stepped out of the shadows. At first, the young man looked just as foreign as the girl, but when he spoke, a shiver went down Nico’s spine.

Now that voice…  _ that _ voice he knew.

“It’s been a while, Nico.”

“Ethan.”

Unlike Octavian, Ethan Nakamura hadn’t gained much bulk. He was significantly more muscular, but still sported his middle-part, lanky frame, and worn-down eyepatch. Nico never knew Ethan on a personal level, but it had been abundantly clear how little his parents cared about him. They were embarrassed and disappointed, giving him little support or recognition on a daily basis, and in retaliation, he had left home.

Left to join The Salvation.

Nico held his chin up. “Who killed my sister?” He wasted no time on preamble. He wasn’t here to catch up.   
When he was under Octavian’s wing, he had been instructed to wait.  _ Let them come to us _ , Octavian had said.  _ They’ll bring us all the information we need _ . They had waited and waited and waited, trying to pull in The Salvation. Trying to slowly coax information out of them.

Nico was so fucking tired of waiting.

Ethan adjusted his grip on the handle of his knife. “Is that why you’ve come? All this way for a question?”

The girl laughed. “Of course, it isn’t. You’re curious about  _ us _ , aren’t you, Nico? I can see it in your eyes.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “You want to know how many of us there are. You want to know how we are so successful. You want to know-”

“I want to know who fucking killed my sister.” Nico struggled to keep his anger in check. “I don’t give a shit about you or your friends.”

“That’s no fun,” she pointed out, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “I’m Medea, by the way. A pleasure to meet you.”

Nico didn’t respond to that. “I’m here for answers, Ethan. Either give them to me, or I’ll take them.”

Ethan gave him a peculiar look. “You won’t be  _ taking _ anything.”

“Oh, but he wants to  _ fight _ , Ethan,” Medea murmured with a gleeful look in her eyes. “He has a hunger, and he’ll do whatever it takes. Isn’t that right, Nico?”

_ Don’t snap.  _ “This is your last chance. Who killed her?”  _ Don’t snap.  _

Medea laughed again. “Who’s to say  _ we _ did, Nico? What if your  _ friends _ from The Sortiria are responsible? What if this all a mere accident?” Her eyes wavered between the truth and falsehood, and Nico was becoming too furious to decipher her true intentions. “So quick to assume. Do you truly believe everything Octavian told you? Are you really so naive?”

_ Be careful _ .

Jason’s generic words hung in his mind, followed by an overwhelming feeling of dread. There was no way he could win a fight, not with both of them against him in their home territory. There was no way he could get any sort of answer. Today was a lost cause, only succeeding in infuriating him further.

Medea smirked, almost triumphantly. “Leaving so soon?” Her ability to read his emotions was alarming, and he quickly hardened his face. He would have to be careful around her.

As he stepped up onto the gate, very conscious of the dangerous individuals behind him, Ethan cleared his throat. It was enough to make Nico pause, if only for a moment.

“If you come back,” Ethan said, almost expectantly, “our leader would like to speak with you. One on one. Just you and him.”

Whoever their leader was would be getting that conversation. Maybe sooner than he expected.

Before he could do anything rash, Nico vaulted back over the fence, all but running home.

Nico was a flurry of anger, streaming into his house at full speed. He had been too frazzled to see if anyone had followed him, though it was unlikely, but he was too unfocused to care either way. 

The moment he was in his room, he drove one of his knives into the bedsheets, trembling with every inch of his body. Nico felt tears spring to his eyes, but forced them back down. 

_ No. Not until I find them. Not until she is avenged _ . 

He had been doing good. He had been accepting  _ everything  _ that had happened. But when The Salvation rejoined? He couldn’t just turn a blind eye. This was his chance. His chance to do it right. He didn’t need Octavian to aid him. He didn’t need anyone to help him. He would do this. He would find them. Nico would avenge Bianca, now that he had the chance.

And although Jason had warned him to be careful, Nico was never one to heed warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love any love + feedback! Please comment on what you like/don't like!!


	6. Just A Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico is frazzled - his emotions are everywhere all at once, and he can't seem to find a solid ground. On top of that, members of The Sortiria are none too pleased with his interactions with The Salvation. And the more he learns, the more he doesn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter's a bit rushed! I'm working my way up to the *character death* mentioned in the entire book summary. Let me know if you have any feedback! I would love to hear how you are liking it so far!!

“He looks like shit.”

“I wouldn’t say _that_.”

“Look at him, Jason.” There was a snort. “It’s like he’s just seen a ghost.”

Nico walked a few feet ahead of them, hands stuffed in his pockets, hood over his head. He had left for Ares class earlier than usual, practically suffocating from all the attention he was getting at the lunch table, and Leo and Jason had opted to follow him. Jason probably would have been able to whisper, but with Leo yammering next to him, there wasn’t much option for a quiet conversation.

“Maybe this has to do something with his talk with Clarisse and Chris,” Jason murmured. 

Leo laughed. “That’s old news, bro.”

“No, no, he talked with them a second time.” _They aren’t the only ones I talked to_ , Nico reminded himself. 

“Oh, shit. He’s not, like, _with_ with them, right?”

 _Why don’t you fucking ask me yourself?_ Nico let his hood fall a little farther over his eyes. _Coward._

And he couldn’t help but think that _he_ was the coward. He should have stayed longer. He should have met with their leader then and there. Nico dug his nails into his palms. He blew his chance, and he didn’t know when he would get another one.

“I don’t think he rejoined or anything,” Jason said, in that contemplative way of his. “He just seems…”

“Tense? Dark? Brooding? Emo? Ooh, ooh, I know!”

“Don’t say it-”

“He’s Batman!”

It took all of Nico’s willpower not to turn around and choke him.

Leo laughed to himself. “Okay, well, I’ve gotta scat, but I’ll catch you later.”

As soon Leo’s footsteps sped up, Nico knew he was in deep. Jason was already making to catch up, and Nico wasn’t having it. He was _not_ talking to him right now. He wouldn’t even let Will drive him to school today, opting to finally make use of Jules-Albert’s license. 

He reached Ares classroom soon enough, and by the time Jason had caught up, Nico was busying himself with tasks around the classroom. He had never been one to overly-participate, but drastic means called for drastic measures. Ares’ presence had always been an abrasive, unwanted thing, but now he couldn’t help but feel grateful, knowing the war-obsessed teacher was the only thing prohibiting Jason from reaching out.

And so Jason just sat there, watching Nico with a skeptical eye, until class began.

* * *

Nico managed to make it into Mr. D’s class relatively early in the passing period.

Only Kyla was there with a Varsity cheerleader, talking about something or another in the back of the room. He made to take his seat, but Mr. D’s voice stopped him.

“You seem like a troubled kid, Nico di Angelo.”

Of all the things he had expected his teacher to say, that was not it.

“Pardon?” _What the fuck?_ And he would have said as much except he was addressing a teacher, and he really didn’t need his dad hammering down on him about something else.

“You’re a troubled kid,” he confirmed, leaning back in his seat. Nico thought the chair would collapse under his weight, but it held. “Life hasn’t held back on you.”

“I…” Nico really didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t every day your psychology teacher validated your existence, albeit in the strangest of ways.

“My door is always open at lunch.”

Nico walked to his seat, and for some reason, he found himself considering the offer.

Once the classroom was nearly full, Will walked in, talking in a low voice with Jason just outside the door. Nico slunk further down in his seat. _God, Jason is relentless, isn’t he?_

A moment later, Will sat down next to him, his eyes overflowing with concern. “Nico, why are-”

“Welcome, students!” Mr. D’s voice cut through all chatter, effectively shocking everyone. He _never_ got started early. “Today we will be mixing up seating arrangements. Sit next to someone you haven’t before.”

A look of irritation crossed Will’s features before he slowly stood, casting Nico a this-conversation-that-didn’t-ever-really-start-isn’t-over-yet look before plodding off to find someone else. Travis replaced him, wearing that shit-eating grin of his, but Nico couldn’t bring himself to care.

He didn’t know exactly what Will was going to ask, but he had a pretty good guess. Something along the lines of _why are you ignoring me?_ or the ever-classic _did I do something wrong?_

And yes, he was ignoring Will, and no, Will didn’t do anything wrong. Far from it.

 _I don’t want to get you roped into this,_ Nico thought, running over his list of reasons. _I can’t afford you getting hurt. I can’t let you know this side of me_. 

But he never would’ve answered Will’s questions truthfully. He would have undoubtedly been cross, and rude, and reserved. Because if he was genuine, and kind, and open, he would be letting Will in. He would have given too much information.  
And in this case, information was dangerous.

Nico caught Mr. D’s eyes right before he began speaking again, and something like humor flashed, almost as if he was saying _you’re welcome_.

Did Mr. D have them move seats for Nico’s benefit? Or was it merely a much-needed coincidence?

Nico tapped his desk as the assignment was given out. He might seriously take Mr. D up on his lunch offer.

* * *

“Do not get in that fucking car, Nico di Angelo.”

Could he not get a moment’s rest? Hazel pounced during the passing period ー in a friendly way, of course ー and his PE friends were merciless in their. “What was wrong?” they asked. “Was he okay? Why was he ignoring Will? Was he hanging out with Clarisse and Chris again?”

At that one, Nico could only glare. What was it with Will and Jason being such _blabbermouths_?

But that wasn’t the point. The point was that Will was speaking to him, just before he could escape school, and his tone made Nico falter. Will wasn’t aggressive. Sure, he was commanding and stubborn, but never so… so _firm_. So angry. It made Nico’s blood churn uncomfortably.

He carefully turned and met Will’s eyes.

Will jabbed a finger at him, but didn’t move too much closer. “We’ve talked about this. You don’t get to ignore me. You can treat me like shit for all I care, but not like _this_. At least have the decency to be an asshole to my face.”

Will _never_ spoke to him that way. Nico could have been offended, or upset, or downright pissed, but he was strangely impressed. It wasn’t every day he saw Will act so boldly. It was a side of him Nico didn’t mind seeing,

If it had been anyone else, he would have glowered until they withered to dust, but instead he sighed. “Fine.”

Will nodded. “Good.”

As much as he tried, Nico couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice. “Well, if I’m being honest, that shirt makes you look like a fucking five-year-old.”

“Now _that’s_ what I like to hear.” Will laughed. “You sure don’t need a ride to my house later?” Nico caught on to his disappointed tone, but he refused to let it influence his decision.

He shook his head. “I’m not going to make you haul me around anymore. Though I will miss your horrible singing.” _I can’t. Not now. The closer we get…_ Well, the closer they got, the more Nico needed to push him away. To keep both of them safe.

At least, that’s what Nico told himself.

Will looked like he wanted to argue, for multiple reasons, but Nico ducked into the car, rolling down the window a fraction. “See you at six, Solace.”

Will waved, responding in a conflicted voice. “Yeah, yeah. See you then.”

As they pulled away from the school, Nico remembered to thank Jules-Albert, who sat non-responsive in the driver’s seat, solely focused on the road. If Nico hadn’t been accustomed to his zombie-like qualities, the man would have freaked him out.

Jules-Albert glanced over at him, and Nico sighed. “To the house, please.”

With an ever so-subtle nod, they changed lanes, heading off towards Hades house.

* * *

There were no words to describe Will’s house. Nothing could really do justice to what Nico was witnessing.

His Californian cousins had come two days ahead of schedule, and were absolutely ecstatic to meet Percy. They began peppering with questions, or climbing on his limbs, or just doing really weird shit only children do.

Nico, dressed in all black, wearing an uncomfortable scowl, did not have the same appeal. The children cast him uncertain glances before toddling back off to Percy.

The kids were crazy and loud and ridiculous and it took all of Nico’s willpower not to run out the door. It didn’t help that Will was surprised at the early arrival of his guests, running full speed from room to room to get everything ready. The best comparison of the Solace household would be to a zoo, and even that didn’t fully encompass the mayhem.

Naomi Solace would be considered the eye of the storm, calmly instructing the kids on where to take their things, directly her sister towards the main guest room. She was frequently reminding Will about tasks he had forgotten, and Nico couldn’t tell if it eased or heightened Will’s stress.

In any case, with Will busy, Percy entertaining the kids, Naomi instructing, and everyone else straining to make themselves at home, Nico felt horribly out of place.

After a few moments, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and he whirled around, face contorted to something just short of rage. When he realized it was just Naomi, he let out a breath, but something still nagged at him. He hadn’t even noticed her walk over. What happened to being on guard? What happened to quick reflexes? He needed to start refocusing on that, or it was going to cause him a lot of unneeded problems.

“I’m sorry for the chaos, Nico,” she said, and her voice was kind. “Once we get my sister and her kids set, you boys will be good to go.” 

Nico nodded, giving a thin smile. He had seen her briefly a few weeks ago, but it had been over a year since they last interacted. He had forgotten what a soothing person she was. 

A little girl came running over with a huge grin. “Aunt Naomi! Look what I made for you!” She held up a hand-drawn picture of two stick figures (that Nico assumed were Naomi and herself).

Naomi dropped to her knees and smiled, graciously accepting the drawing. “Thank you, Angelica. It’s wonderful.”

He never considered the fact that Aunt Adelaide had adopted, but it made sense considering how close in age her children were. A little spurt of warmth entered his heart. This particular little girl looked like Bianca, with glowing olive skin and dark hair slicing down around her face. It should have been a sad thing, but instead, it made him smile.

Even when she was gone from this world, remnants of her remained.

The girl bounced off excitedly, likely telling her siblings how impressed their Aunt was with their artwork, and Naomi stood again.

“She’s a wonderfully happy girl,” Naomi remarked, and it became obvious that she was trying to converse with Nico. 

He nodded, unsure of what to say. _Should I smile? Make a joke? What if she thinks I’m weird? Will she want Will to stop hanging around me? Just like Dad disapproves of my connection to them?_

“You have a place here, Nico,” she murmured, squeezing his arm gently. “Don’t forget that, okay?”

“I… thank you, Ms. Solace.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Call me Naomi, Nico. Us moms like to feel young, you know.”

Nico gave a laugh at that one. She gave him another smile before working her way back into the crowd of little kids.

His eyes swept past Percy, who was talking animatedly with a very confused toddler, and Will. He was looking at Nico fondly, obviously having witnessed his conversation with Naomi, and Nico smiled back.

Just for a moment, he could be here, in the present, with this perfectly chaotic family. Just for a moment, he could exist outside of his troubles. 

Just for a goddamn moment.

The majority of the kids were distributed into the living area and one of the guest rooms, while Aunt Adelaide took her baby into the other. She was a woman nearly identical to Naomi, though clearly younger, and it was interesting to see them interact. They barely said anything, but knew exactly what the other needed. 

The Solace’s were a tight knit family, that was for sure. 

Will came trudging over to where Nico was leaning against the wall. “Hey, sorry that took so long. They had a flight change because of some weird switch-up, but I think they’re settled in now.”

Nico lifted a shoulder. “That’s okay. I like your family.”

“I like them, too.” The broad grin Will gave him made his heart jump. “Good to see you’re in a good mood again, di Angelo. I was thinking Anakin finally got to you and you’d gone to the Dark Side.”

Nico rolled his eyes, pushing off the wall. “You’re such a dork.”

Will leaned in a bit closer. “But I’m _your_ dork.”

Before Nico could process _that_ , Will laughed, nudging him. “C’mon. Let’s find wherever Percy ran off to. We have a project to do.”

Turns out, Percy had run off with Angelica and her twin brother, Alfonso. Watching them interact was like watching the old videos of him and Bianca, only ten times more powerful. Watching Percy interact with them, on the other hand, was like watching a dolphin try to converse with puppies. As strange as it was, at the same time, it was very endearing. 

Well, that’s what Nico would have thought a while ago. Now, he could watch Percy and remember what a dumbass he was.

After Percy gave a heartfelt goodbye speech, they headed up to Will’s room. It was strange how little Nico and Will interacted within each other’s homes, and Nico supposed that’s why he was slightly nervous. This was Will’s room, Will’s living space, Will’s place.

And really, it could have gone either way. There could have been clothes everywhere, trash strewn about, and not a thing in place, and Nico wouldn’t have been surprised. But equally as unsurprising was the organized bookshelves, properly set-up Star Wars art, and completely made bed. There was a framed picture of Anakin that Nico could only shake his head at. An entire section of the room was dedicated to his music, home to hundreds of CD’s and vinyls alike, along with a vintage turntable and-

Percy snorted. “Is that a Hello Kitty CD player?”

Will grinned. “Yessir.”

Nico rubbed his jawline. “Well, this is…” 

Percy jumped in. “Methodical? Orderly? Shit, what was the last one…”

Will laughed. “Has Annabeth been teaching you big words again?”

Percy groaned, flopping onto Will’s bed and effectively ruining the perfectly straightened sheets. “Yes! And it’s _horrible_.”

Nico hesitantly took a seat in Will’s desk chair, noting how neat his school work was laid out. It was so organized it almost gave him a headache. 

Will settled into a beanbag. “Okay. So the project. First, we gotta choose our stance. If we’re for or against the argument.”

Percy propped himself up by the elbows. “Er, what’s the question again?’

Nico didn’t even have the heart to roll his eyes, not really expecting Percy to remember anything from yesterday. “We’re deciding whether music taste can hint at someone’s personality.”

“I think it does,” Will put in. “Even just glancing at Nico’s preferences. He listens to the more dark, brooding, depressing-”

Nico threw a pencil at him. “Shut up.”

Will barely deflected the blow. “You put that back where you found it!”

Eventually, after much trivial debate, they decided that music taste _did_ have some say in someone’s personality, but only to an extent. “People are too complex to put into one musical category,” as Will so adequately put it.

Nico also discovered that Will’s music taste was a direct reflection of his mother’s, which made so much sense. Percy talked about Annabeth’s favorite musicians, and Will had guessed half of them before he even said a word. It was kind of fun, Nico admitted after a while, doing this project with them. Even with Percy, who made him want to facepalm the majority of the time. Even with Will, who made him want to slap him and kiss him at the same exact time.

Because just for a moment-

**Outside. Now.**

The text was unexpected to say the least, but the phone number stood out like a sore thumb. He may have deleted her contact information, may have tried to erase her from his life, but that number was one he knew. A chill went down Nico’s spine and he abruptly stood, his face hardening.

Percy looked over. “Hey, man, what’s-”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Nico said, low and hard. 

Will frowned. “Where are-”

Nico was out the door before he could finish. _Don’t follow me_ , he pleaded inside, knowing full well he might. He didn’t dwell on the fact, though, marching out the front door in long strides. A figure on the right caught his eye, and he crossed the front yard quickly, slipping into the shadow’s between houses.

Clarisse was wearing her classy bandana and ripped jeans, a deep scowl already on her face. “Solace better not come looking for you.” The way she said his name so casually made Nico want to punch her in the nose. 

“He won’t,” Nico said sharply, though he wasn’t so sure. “Now what the hell do you want?”

“Why the hell did you speak to The Salvation?”

 _“_ None of your business.”

“It fucking is my business. _You_ used to be part of The Sortiria. If you’re talking with them, you better give me a damn good reason. Your actions affect us just as much as they affect you.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Nico stated, voice cold. “I suggest you get the hell out of here before you start something you can’t finish.”

“Is that a threat, di Angelo?” His eyes flashed to the knife in her belt, and he took a calculated step back.

“Just something for you to think about.”

He turned to leave, bumping straight into someone else. And that was the moment Nico remembered how The Sortiria functioned. The heart of their organization, really. 

They _always_ travelled in pairs.

He was a heavyset guy with bleached hair and a stoic face. Something about him was familiar, and Nico recalled Jason’s football teammates. One of whom looked exactly like…

“Butch,” Nico said flatly.

He cracked his fingers. “Don’t talk to The Salvation again, you hear me?”

Nico set his jaw. “Like hell I’m gonna take orders from-”

Clarisse flicking out her knife. “You _are_ going to listen and I don’t give a fuck about your _pride_.” She took a step closer, eyes smoldering. “One foot out of line and I won’t hesitate. I’m not gonna die because you decided to flirt with danger. You’re putting me at risk, along with everyone you care about.” Though she spoke with anger, fear lined every inch of her face.

Nico hesitated before responding. Clearly, there was something they knew that he didn’t. Clarisse was never so easy to read, and it was terrifying. How were his actions going to affect her safety? What could he possibly do that could affect her now? If he continued to meet with The Salvation, how long would he be able to keep Will out of it?

Instead of voicing his questions, he crossed his arms. “Is that all?”

Clarisse nodded. “Don’t make me do this again, di Angelo.”

Nico slipped past Butch’s large figure, quickly making his way back into the Solace house, knowing full well he wouldn’t listen to her words.

Will was waiting in the kitchen, clearly distressed. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Nico muttered, “just a misunderstanding.” 

Will’s brow furrowed together, but he didn’t say anything. He just stood and headed towards the stairs, only going up once Nico had decided to follow.

They resumed their project work, but Nico couldn’t refocus. The moment of peace had shattered, and now his thoughts were swarming. He couldn’t procrastinate going back to The Salvation. He couldn’t waste any more time.

His eyes traced back to Will, who was laughing at something Percy said. Because the longer he waited, the more risks there were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love any kudos/feedback/comments you have for me! Striving every day to improve with my writing (:


	7. His Sister's Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico meets with The Salvation a second time, angry at the lack of results, but after a surprising revelation with Jason and a special moment with Will, he finally meets the Salvationist leader. The results he receives are much more than expected, almost too good to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! I'm so stoked for this chapter and the next few because of the changes in the story! Please comment anything you like or don't like! Enjoy! <3

“Back so soon?”

Nico dropped down hard, squinting in the dark. He had waited until well after midnight to sneak out, and was barely able to see using the light from the functioning street lamps.

Medea sat against the back of the building, twirling a knife in her hands. In the dark, her green eyes shone with excitement.

Nico met her intense gaze with one of his own. “Where’s your leader?”

“You aren’t one for small talk, are you? I’m sure that drives your friends crazy.”

He cautiously took a step forward. “I’m here to speak to your leader. I don’t give a damn about conversing with you.”

Nico was also never one to be kind. At the very least, he was respectful, but being _nice_ never fit with his personality.

“That’s boring,” she decided, standing up smoothly. “Tell me, how’s school? You’re lucky, really. William and Perseus, now they are  _ lookers _ . And that Jason Grace.”

Nico’s blood stilled. “I’m not here to talk about them. I’m here to talk about Bianca.”

“Oh, yes.” Medea snapped her fingers. “The dead sister. I suppose you’ll need to speak to the boss then, hm?”

He gritted his teeth, but managed to respond. “Where the hell is he?”

“Oh, he’s out tonight. We really hadn’t expected you to come quite so soon.” Her laugh was sickening. “We’ll let you know when he’s available.”

“I’m not playing your games, Medea. He's going to give me answers.”

“And he will,” she said assuredly, in an almost sultry tone, “but on his time, Nico di Angelo, not yours.”

Nico retreated, looping his foot into the lower gate. He wasn’t surprised to hear Medea speak up again, ever the one to continue a conversation.

“Oh, and Nico? Tell Jason Grace that if he doesn’t give us an answer soon, he’ll regret it.”

As Nico was leaving, his head started to swim.  _ Jason Grace… Answer… Regret… _ He sped up his pace.  _ Jason couldn’t be involved with them, could he? _

* * *

“Why the hell are you in contact with The Salvation?”

Jason’s eyes bulged and he slapped a hand over Nico’s mouth. “Are you crazy?

Nico shoved his arm down. “I can’t believe you. All the lectures about avoiding gangs and here you are, freshly connected with the most dangerous group of people within an a hundred mile radius.” He dug his hands into his scalp. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Jason gulped, glancing around the building. “Look, maybe we shouldn’t talk about this here-”

Nico took a step closer. “We’re going to talk, and I don’t give a fuck about how  _ comfortable _ you are.” 

Jason blinked, momentarily snapped out of his urgent mindset. “God, you’re getting tall.”

Nico’s nostrils flared. “Stop fucking with me, Jason. Why the hell would you reach out to them?”

Jason sighed, taking a shaky breath.

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” Nico warned, keeping his voice low. “You don’t know what happens inside. The media doesn’t even cover half of the shit they create. Why are you-”

Jason’s expression darkened. “Dakota and Lavinia joined The Salvation.” Nico blinked. Both of them were Jason’s friends from the other school in the area ー Olympus High ー and had always been in his life. He knew they had a somewhat difficult past, Dakota with alcoholic parents and Lavinia with traditional, queerphobic guardians, so he wasn’t too surprised they had turned to a gang. In an area like this, most teenagers found it a viable option in order to escape their own lives. But Jason?  _ Jason _ ?!

A sneer found its way onto his face. “What, so you see them ruining their lives and think ‘hey, I should join them!’?”

“I’m not  _ joining _ them,” Jason whispered exasperatedly. “I just… I can’t let them just…”

Nico’s reaction was instantaneous. “Do  _ not _ try to get them back, Grace.”

“I can’t just sit here and-”

“It was  _ their choice _ . Trying to convince them to change their minds will just get you hurt.”  _ Or worse.  _ “I know how this works, Jason. I’ve seen it firsthand.”

“But I can’t just-”

"Stop.” Nico balled his fists. “Promise me you won’t.”

Jason stared at him.

Nico continued to press. “Promise me.” He didn’t pressure people into telling him things. Hell, he rarely asked the simplest of questions. But when it came to this, Nico couldn’t just let Jason off the hook. His life on the line. 

Jason blew out a breath. “Fine.”

Nico nodded, rubbing his eyes.  _ You’re not with them. You’re not with them. God, you gave me a fucking heart attack, you idiot. _

“Seriously, though.” Jason scratched his forehead. “You’re getting taller.”

Nico sighed. “Yeah?”

Jason nodded. “Yeah.”

And they left it at that.

* * *

“Hey, I can’t make it to the gym today. Mom needs help with-” There was a crash and muffled cursing before Will’s voice returned back to the phone. “-transporting the kiddos. She has a gig this afternoon, and I’m their honorary mom until Aunt Adelaide comes home from yoga class.” He claimed his title with an absurd amount of satisfaction.

“Sounds exciting,” Nico put in sarcastically. “Percy can’t make it today, so it will just be us.”

“Sounds-  _ Alfonso, stop pulling your sister’s hair-  _ good to me- _ Hang on a second, Ria- _ See you at five!”

Something warm bloomed in Nico’s gut after he hung up. Will’s interactions with his cousins was impossibly endearing. __

He went to the gym alone, which was a considerably less enjoyable experience. He struggled to maintain focus throughout his workout, his thoughts constantly drifting back to Medea and The Salvation and the supposed  _ leader _ , whoever he was. Not even Baina’s overly excited greeting could pull him out of his daze.

No, only Will was capable of doing that.

“God, kids are so annoying!” Will waltzed into Nico’s home the moment the door was opened. “They think they can just go through your clothes and your pictures and your magazines and your books.” He let out an indignant shriek. “And they touched my  _ Anakin portrait! _ Who  _ does _ that?!” 

Nico watched him with amused eyes. He was never subjected to seeing Will so frazzled and uptight, and it was an enjoyable sight.

Will huffed, crossing his arms. “What are you looking at?”

“Oh, nothing,” Nico said dismissively, hiding his smile beneath his hand.

Suddenly, Will perked up, immediately switching moods. “Hey, I didn’t know you had a piano.”

Nico’s eyes drifted to the beautiful instrument in the corner of the room. Hades never let Will come into their home on a daily basis, only allowing them to hang out in parks and other places, so Nico wasn’t surprised he didn’t know.

Will wandered over, and Nico wavered in his footing momentarily before catching back up. “Uh, yeah.  Mamma brought it back from Italy. I was only a few years old.” He blinked, catching himself before he kept explaining. Something about Will made him just want to talk, and it was an odd feeling. 

Sharing himself with other people had always been hard, but Will just made it so damn easy.

“That’s cool.” Will gave Nico a soft smile before squinting at the piano. “It’s been so long. Mom tried to teach me when I was little.”

“Tried?”

Will gave him a helpless look. “Have you  _ heard _ me sing?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well, give it a go.” He gestured towards the keys vaguely. “Play something.”

“When you go deaf, that’s on you.”

To Will’s credit, he tried. He remembered the one song his mom had fully taught him, but his effort only succeeded in ruining the piece of music. Although he was intently focused on hitting the right notes, he hit the wrong ones anyway. Although he knew his rhythms, he failed miserably to apply them to the song. Although he understood volume changes, he could never properly execute them.

It took all of Nico’s willpower not to laugh once Will had finished. “Okay, you’re so bad.”

Will’s face reddened, which only made Nico laugh harder. “It’s not  _ my  _ fault both my parents are musical geniuses and I’m not!”

Nico raised an eyebrow at the mention of Will’s dad. “Apollo’s a musician?”

“Apparently that’s what drew my mom in.” He rolled his eyes. “You would think that the offspring of two musically inclined individuals would produce some amazingly talented, ass-kicking, theatre star, but  _ no _ . They got a doctor, instead.”

Nico gave a small laugh. “Is that really so bad?”

Will blushed, and Nico’s heart stuttered. 

After a moment of silence, Will scratched his nose. “Hey, do you mind if I use your bathroom? There is literally no privacy anymore at home. They are everywhere. In the bath, in the cabinets. Alfonso even managed to-"

“Oh my God, I don’t need you to explain yourself." Nico shoved him off the bench. "Turn left, second door on the right."

Will smiled sheepishly and regained his footing. “Thanks.”   


Nico shook his head as Will walked off, his eyes sliding back to the piano. He found himself itching to play, to bring back the memories. His fingers twitched before settling on the black and white keys, waiting to press down.

When sadness didn’t overtake him, he continued. 

The chords were engraved in the pads of his fingers. Every change, every movement, every note came in perfect succession to the last, building the intro he knew by heart. He got enough lost in the sensation that the words tumbled off of his lips.

“Ti proteggerò dalle paure delle ipocondrie,” he sang, and it was absolutely fucking beautiful. He didn’t have a trained voice. He didn’t have years upon years of experience. But he knew what he was doing, and he knew what he was singing, and that’s what made it so perfect.

“Dai turbamenti che da oggi incontrerai per la tua via…” Each line popped into his head accompanied with a memory, and it made him smile. He was so lost in the music, lost in himself, lost in the recollections, that he didn’t notice Will sat down next to him until he reached to end of a verse. 

His fingers fumbled off the keys and he grew silent, red to the roots of his hair. He wasn't sure if he was embarrassed out of being caught or singing in the first place, but he was embarrassed nonetheless.

“That was beautiful,” Will whispered, edging a bit closer. Nico hesitantly met his gaze, overcome by the emotion that transferred back to him. It took all he had to not back away or move closer, studying Will’s expression. The brightness of his blue, blue eyes. The glow of his tan skin. The sincerity in his smiling features. 

Then his gaze dropped to his lips, only fleetingly, but enough for Will to notice.

And Nico was aware of their closeness, of the energy pulling them closer, of the want to close the distance, of the need to be with him.

_ But I can’t. _ Nico rested his forehead against Will’s. “I…” 

Will sighed. “I know.” 

Nico closed his eyes. “I want to.”  _ So badly _ .

“But you aren’t ready.”

“I’m not ready,” Nico agreed quietly, and it was just about the most honest thing he had ever said.  _ Not with what I’m discovering. Not when I’m closer to finding out who killed her. I can’t bring you into that. I- _

“Can I still flirt with you?” He felt Will rest his hand on his knee reassuringly.

Nico took a deep breath. "Only if I can.”

There was no grand revelation. There was no dramatic build-up. They decided to be logical, not wasting time on “When did you know?” or even just “I like you.” There was none of that because they were  _ Will and Nico _ . Will was the showy flirt, Nico was the reserved flirt. Will was the loud one, Nico was the quiet one. They knew who the other person was, and they weren’t stupid. 

Nico was more observant than people gave him credit for. Will’s not-so-subtle subtle compliments or lingering gazes. His flirtatious bombs out of nowhere. The way he was looking at him right now. 

So, yes, they  _ liked _ each other. That went without saying. But there were other factors in play, factors they were both painfully aware of. Factors they couldn’t just ignore or override.

Will gave a small chuckle. “When you  _ are _ ready, Nico, I’m here.”

“I know.” Nico smiled softly. “You’re always there, Will.”

“I’m like Lyme disease. I never go away." Will sighed dramatically. "Even when you think I'm gone for good... bang! He's back.”

Nico snorted, leaning back, feeling his heart start to relax. “Did you just make a medical joke?”

“Yup." Will grinned. "Always count on a doctor to lighten the mood.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Okay, dork. Let’s work on this project.”

And they did work, with little more awkwardness than usual. Because nothing had changed, not really. They were the same Will and Nico they had always been, except now….

Now, Nico wasn’t speculating. He knew with a surety what Will meant to him.

When he was ready, Will would be there. When he was ready, Will wanted him. When he was ready, Will would be with him.

And knowing that made his heart nearly burst.

* * *

After they were able to get a sufficient amount of work done, Nico walked Will out to his Jeep. There was a hopefulness bouncing back and forth between them like a game of ping pong. 

Just before he got in, Will placed a hand on Nico's cheek, knowing not to go any farther. “When you’re ready,” he murmured. 

Nico swallowed hard. “I… yeah.”

Will laughed softly. “See you, Nico.”

He watched as Will’s car pulled away and he felt a small, giddy smile lift his face.  _ When I’m ready…  _

“Took him long enough to leave,” a velvety voice piped up from somewhere behind him.

Nico’s face immediately hardened. Could he not get one moment of peace? Could he not get one moment to himself? To feel something other than frustration? To feel  _ happy _ ? 

He wheeled to face Medea. She sat in the sycamore tree in his front yard, the leaves almost totally obscuring her from view. He was able to catch sight of her feet, and noted with an uneasiness the serpent tattoo that curved up her left ankle.

“Thought that Will Solace would never leave,” she mused, hopping down from the branches with an eerie grace. 

Nico clenched his fists. “Why are you here?”

Her laugh cut through the air like needles. “The boss would like to see you. He’s waiting at Sbarro’s.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. Going into Sbarro’s was just short of a surrender, the best way for him to be cornered. “If you think I’m going to-”

Medea clicked her tongue. “I wasn’t finished. He has a statement of admittance from Bianca’s killer  _ and _ an address.”

The oxygen was knocked from Nico’s lungs. “What?”

“Not what you expected to hear?” She shook her head, with a short laugh. “He’s a fair man, Nico di Angelo. Remember that.”

Nico could barely focus on her. A statement. An address. This was what he had looked for for  _ years _ . And he had it. Nearly in his grasp.

A sense of foreboding clung to his skin. If this was everything he had looked for, why did it feel so dangerous?

* * *

Sbarro’s was a hole-in-the wall, sketchy type of pizza shop and bar. The neighboring shops pressed into the sides, giving it an odd condensed appearance. The lit-up sign was only half functioning, the letters flickering in and out. The only window was fogged up from smoke. An uneasy feeling settled in Nico’s gut.

What a perfect place for a meet-and-greet.

He slipped through the door, flinching at the jangle of the bell. Dozens of people were crowded in the small space, drinking and smoking and throwing darts. There was a surplus of raucous laughter and loud voices. Nico wedged between two large men, squinting to see through the smoke clouds.

He didn’t know who he was looking for, but it didn’t take long to find out.

The most identifying attribute was his tattoo, Nico decided. An intricately designed snake curled around his bicep and into his shirt, the head peeking out against his neck. The guy himself was classically attractive, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like Jason, but there was a thin scar cutting up his face beneath his eyes. And that’s when Nico realized who it was

He spoke before Nico had the chance. “Nico di Angelo. It’s been a long time.”

Nico stilled, barely managing to keep his voice calm. “Luke.” There was no question it was him. Nico had met Luke once years ago, but Thalia and Annabeth used to talk about him a good deal. He was practically family through the entirety of their difficult childhoods, and they used to speak of him with a tremendous amount of respect. But over the years, their regard for him soured, and Nico wasn’t entirely sure why. Even Percy grew wary and serious when Luke Castellan was brought up in conversation.

Luke let out a puff of smoke from his cigarette. “How’s Thalia doing?”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “That’s none of your fucking concern.”

Luke looked at him in surprise. “I only mean well,” he said casually. “I hope Annie’s happy. And Percy Jackson. Haven’t seen him in a while.”

Nico took the seat parallel to him, his fingers wrapped around the bowie knife in his jacket. “This isn’t what I’m here for,” he said flatly. 

“Then what  _ are  _ you here for?” Luke raised his eyebrows.

Nico set his jaw. “You know who killed my sister.”

“Oh, right.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two papers. “I’m glad you reached out. I can’t imagine how terrible these past few years have been for you. Your sister deserved better.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. He knew his type. Always playing the good guy, the victim, the innocent. Always saying something that could be interpreted both ways. Always making it someone else’s problem.

Luke slid the papers across the table and Nico quickly took them. One paper listed was an address, not far from where he lived, and reading the name made Nico’s heart skip a beat. Bianca’s killer lived there.

The realization hit him like a sack of bricks. He knew where his sister’s killer lived.

“His name is Porphyrion.” Luke leaned forward, recapturing Nico’s attention. 

Nico gave him a blank look. “He was one of you.”

Luke shook his head solemnly. “He liked to take our label, but he was never part of The Salvation.” Another half-true sentence, but Nico couldn’t tell which part to believe.

Nico moved his eyes to the second paper. As Medea said, it was a letter. The handwriting sucked, and the words were barely legible, but there was a dated, typed transcript below.

**I, Porphyrion Gaean, attest to the murder of Bianca di Angelo, Kallisto Ballamay and Zoë Nightshade on the first of December in the year 2021.**

There wasn’t anything else written, save the scribbled signature at the bottom of the page.

Nico folded the paper and tucked it in his pocket, feeling his hopes rise and fall simultaneously. “How do I know this is real?”

“I have a recording as well,” he said dismissively. “Once he started drinking, I got it out of him.”

_ Then how is the writing so eloquent?  _ Nico pushed his doubts aside. He  _ knew _ that Luke was telling the truth, at least to some extent. 

He just didn’t know why.  _ Why would Luke just  _ give away _ this information?  _

“The video.” Nico set his jaw. “I want it.”

Luke laughed. “You act as if I’m trying to trick you, Nico. I’ll give the footage by the time you leave.”

_ Why the hell should I wait any longer? So you can keep me in this trap?  _ Nico sucked in a silent breath, opting not to voice his concerns.

A female server walked over to them, amber hair swaying around her head. Her skin was nearly green in the strange lighting. She wore a custom bartender uniform: black pants, white shirt, bowtie. “May I interest you in anything else, Mr. Castellan?”

“Grab me another beer, would you, Juniper?”

She smiled kindly. “Sure thing, Mr. Castellan. What about you, sir?” She turned to Nico with her wide emerald eyes, and he adjusted uncomfortably, growing aware of the crowded space once more. 

“No, thank you.” 

Juniper nodded. “I’ll be right back, Mr. Castellan.”

Once she had gone, Luke turned back to Nico. “Such good manners,” he pointed out, almost  _ teasingly _ . “You’ve grown up.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Why are you helping me?”

Luke raised his brows. “I’m doing this for you, Nico. Your sister was murdered by a man claiming my organization’s title. I had to make sure you knew that I would never harm her, despite our differences.” He shook his head. “You don’t deserve to be in the dark any longer.” Juniper came over and handed him his beer.

Nico curled his toes.  _ But there has to be something else. You wouldn’t just give me this information. _

_ Right? _

A heavyset man stomped over to Luke, leaning over to mutter something in his ear. 

Luke clapped him on the shoulder. “Give me a moment, old friend.” He cleared his throat, racing his beer glass heartily. “Are the boys ready to go?” A responding cheer filled Sbarro’s. Nico’s blood ran cold. Of  _ course _ . They were all Salvationists. All of them.

Everyone except for him. 

He retook his hold on his bowie knife, ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice. This couldn’t be any more perfect of a trap. One he willingly walked into.

Juniper brought a fresh beer and Luke took it casually, glancing over at Nico. “Allow me to walk you out.”

Nico stood quickly, but his mind was starting to swim with questions, most of which were too dangerous to ask.

Luke slung an arm around his shoulders, and it took all of Nico’s self-restraint not to fight him off. “It’s been a pleasure, Nico. I’m glad you decided to meet.”   
Nico remained quiet, only looking up once they had reached the exit.  _ The video. What about the- _

“Oh, don’t forget this,” Luke said, pulling out a hard drive and placing it in Nico’s hand. His voice grew into a more solemn tone. “And don’t forget that I helped you find him.” Nico slipped the hard metal chip into his secure pocket, the finality of Luke’s statement jarring him.  _ He helped me… Why? How do I know this is even real? What if he’s lying?  _

No, no ー he wasn’t lying, at least not outright. Luke Castellan was many things. He was manipulative, and clever with his phrasing, and self-righteous, but a direct liar? Nico didn’t think so.

But as he exited Sbarro’s with the jangling of the bell, Nico swore he heard laughter behind him.

* * *

_ This tape could contain anything, and I’m just going to believe him? I’m just going to trust it’s the video proof I need to pin my sister’s killer?  _ Nico wrapped his fingers around the hard drive.  _ Drastic times call for drastic measures, don’t they? _

He marched up to the dark door. It was a small house, with a run-down exterior, but if the lights were anything to go by, someone was home.

Someone being Bianca’s killer.

_ What if Luke’s lying? _ Nico paced across the porch.  _ What if he’s just covering up the real story? What if- _

The pressure of his bowie knife pressed against his chest, safely tucked in the inside of his jacket. Something cold ー not quite anger, not quite confidence ー rolled over him and his hands closed into fists.  _ Porphyrion Gaean, you killed my sister. _

Nico stepped forward and knocked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love feedback! Thank you sooo much for reading!! :D


	8. Other Factors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking a fight with Porphyrion Gaean was not one of Nico's brightest ideas, but the affects that follow may just be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like iiiit :D

Porphyrion Gaean was bigger than he had expected. 

With his bulky build and giant hands, he had the stature of a football lineman. His hair was mangled and long, accompanying his overbearing, bloodshot eyes. Monochrome tattoos patterned his skin, words and symbols and people etched across every space on his limbs, neck, and even his face. 

A sort of suffocation overwhelmed Nico, and he felt fire seeping into every part of his body. This man… this man… 

“You killed my sister.” The voice that came out of Nico was barely his own, twisted and torn and cold, retaining nothing but unaltered hate. 

Porphyrion regarded him vaguely. “Who are you?”

The weight of his bowie knife became noticeable again, and Nico took a bold step forward. “You murdered Bianca di Angelo two years ago.”

The man’s eyes started to narrow. “I suggest you get off my property.”

“You  _ murdered _ her.” Nico felt his limbs start to quake. How was this resolving her death unless he was dead, too? Nico’s throat constricted, and his vision went red. He had always wished harm upon whoever killed Bianca, but he never could have prepared when staring him in the face. He wanted to kill this man. He wanted to watch him die. He wanted him  _ gone _ . 

A life for a life.

Nico had never been in a full fledged gang fight before. Sure, he’d had one or two scrabbles, witnessing more than he could count, but nothing could have prepared him for Porphyrion.

He swung hard at his head, but Porphyrion anticipated the attack, grabbing Nico’s fist with his giant hand.

Nico hissed at the pressure, barely able to wrench away. His fingers exploded with fire and made his head spin, but he ignored the pain. His momentum had carried him into the rundown house, and the door swung back and forth precariously, casting strange light against Porphyrion’s threatening figure.

“You never should have come here, boy,” he snarled, cracking his fists. 

You know that outrageously unrealistic fictional character who would kill a child without a second glance? Turns out, they exists. There was no hesitation before he swung at Nico, barely giving him time to duck.

“And your  _ sister _ knew what she was getting into,” Porphyrion snapped, and Nico couldn’t deflect the punch to the ribs. He grunted and stumbled back into the wall, frantically clawing for his knife.

It didn’t take long to realize he was in trouble. The adrenaline started to wear off, and bright fear shot through his mind. Porphyrion was older, wiser, more experienced, and he couldn’t care less about beating Nico to a pulp. When someone bothered him, he settled problems with his fists.

It was the only way he knew how.

Nico’s phone slipped out of his pocket and clanked on the wood floors. He nearly got sacked on the side, but narrowly avoided the hit. He held up his fists defensively, an idea forming in his mind.

Getting the police involved was not something he wanted to do. He had been caught shoplifting with Chris months ago. After hours of community hours, he finally was released to full activity, save the suspension for getting his permit. The police had never connected him with The Sortiria, but if they had, he would have suffered much more than serving his community and being unable to drive.

It had been the darkest part of Nico’s life, him heading around the city with The Sortiria, and he was damn lucky to be let off the hook so easily. But if he called them? Nico didn’t think they’d be so forgiving this time. He was picking a fight, not stealing. 

_ He killed Bianca _ , Nico reminded himself, and that’s all it took for him to dive for the phone. If that meant he dealt with the law, so be it. Anything to give Porphyrion the treatment he deserved.

Porphyrion roared with outrage, chasing after him, but Nico maneuvered around him.

He pressed  **911** into his phone, the other end picking up almost immediately. He blurted the address quickly, along with a spurt of phrases to get his point across, but that’s when Porphyrion caught up, wrenching the phone and throwing it across the room.

_ Shit _ . Nico gasped as Porphyrion’s fist pounded against his ribs ー that did  _ not _ feel good ー sending him back into the wall. His broken fingers slammed against the surface, sending pain shooting up his arm. Porphyrion came at him again, but Nico managed to hook his foot around his knee, pulling with all his strength.

Porphyrion grunted and staggered to the right, but he didn’t fall. Nico was beginning to think he had never lost a fight. He had attacked a man who was impossible to beat.

They circled each other for a moment, but Porphyrion’s fists came back quickly, leaving bruises and pain across his entire body. His right hand was completely useless, most if not all his fingers broken. His ribs were growing more and more battered as time passed on. Despite his strength and his quickness, Porphyrion had experience, and that trumped his vivacity any day of the week.

Nico didn’t even know if the police were coming. If they didn’t…

He couldn’t run. Porphyrion would catch him. He could fight, but the odds were in his enemy's favor. 

Was this fair? A killer untouched and a brother unsafe?

_ Is this how you killed my sister?  _ Nico wondered.  _ Is  _ this _ how she died?  _ He sucked in a breath, holding up his arms defensively as another blow came.  _ She didn’t deserve this. _

Nico’s eyes blazed again, and he took another swing, this time clipping Porphyrion’s jaw and making the man hiss in pain. But right now, with his hand throbbing, his head swimming, and rage consuming his body, he couldn’t properly defend himself. Not for more than a moment.

An elbow connected with his gut, and another fist to his ribs. Harder. And harder. Another sharp punch pushed him backwards, banging his head hard against the wall. His vision swam and his knees buckled.  _ Get up. Get  _ up!  _ You can’t just- _

He felt Porphyrion's hands wrap around his throat, and a shock of fear racked through him.

The villain has a purpose, they say. The villain thinks he does good, they say. 

But looking into Porphyrion’s cold eyes, Nico knew that wasn’t true. This man needed no more reason to kill than a child needs to play with a toy. This man didn’t believe he was good; he believed everyone else was bad.

This  _ villain _ was going to kill him. There were no other factors involved.

His fingers pressed into Nico’s neck, and he let out a strangled noise. The force was building in his head and his eyes, convoluting his vision and senses. All he felt was  _ pressure _ , sinking into his neck, his pocketed knife into his chest, the stopping of his breaths, slowly, slowly…

Slowly.  _ Was  _ this _ how Bianca died? _

Suddenly, the weight was ripped off of him, and there was a series of calls. Nico’s coughed hard, doubling over. His eyes struggled to focus on anything, darting around as a fierce pounding took over his headspace. 

Two figures settled beside them, touching his arms, saying random words. Nico couldn’t even respond, too lost in the pains of his body.

His gaze strained, but saw strong figures wrestle with Porphyrion, handcuffing him, taking him out of the house.

Nico felt himself fall back into the arms of the figures beside him, though he refused to lose consciousness. Turns out he was right in calling the police.

* * *

“Here, kid. Drink something.”

Nico shook his head adamantly, refusing the cup offered to him. His vision still swam, and his insides curled in and out like a creature. He barely managed to stand on his own, but he refused to let someone help him. 

Upon their insistence, he had borrowed a policeman’s phone ー he would officially be needing a new one since his was crushed against the wall ー and called the first person he could think of. Will had been frantic, as he figured, and hung up before he could explain the situation further. Nico was sure he would be here within minutes.

A police officer stood next to him, her badge glistening in the sun. “We called your father, but he gave permissions of handling to Jules-Albert due to his absence for business. Do you know him?”   
Nico nodded warily, and even that small of a motion made him wince. “He’s practically family.”

She smiled. “We’ll have a doctor look at you once we get back to the station.”

Nico gave a half-hearted thumbs up, then winced as his fingers reacted negatively. Despite his physical pain ー and there was a lot ー most of his pain was internal. Porphyrion was being watched cautiously as the policeman conversed, and his eyes bore into Nico’s. The same firehot anger ran through his veins because he wanted to drive his knife into his heart. He wanted to without any restriction. 

He wanted to kill him, yet he couldn’t. Even if he had been given the opportunity, there was no way he could’ve. Because if he was a killer…

If he was a killer, he was no better than Porphyrion.

The screech of a car skidding to a stop turned his attention to the curb, where Will’s jeep rumbled to a stop. Will’s blonde head flashed into view before he was running, casting aside all hesitance and reaching Nico’s side quickly.

Tears were pooled in his eyes, and Nico had nothing to say to that. Will began just touching Nico, angling his chin, examining his face, moving his limbs. The skin on the upper left side of his face protested against Will’s touch, and Nico realized he had a black eye, too caught up in the fight to notice beforehand. 

Will held him as if he could break. Normally it would have made Nico angry, but there was a sense of relief in his gentleness.

Because right then, he felt so damn breakable.

After a few moments, Will’s seriousness was replaced with a quiet rage. “Who the hell did this to you?”

Nico pressed his eyes closed, and he found himself gripping Will’s arms tightly.

“ _ Who? _ ” Will’s hands slipped into his, and Nico blinked to find his gaze.

He spoke in a small voice. “I found my Bianca’s killer.” He saw the female police officer adjust at his words, but was otherwise unreactive. He had given them the papers and flash drive as evidence, but hadn’t been asked any more questions. He figured they would be more curious once they were back at the station.

Will looked him over again, eyes round with worry and anger. “He did this?”

Nico sighed, pointing to the scene in front of him. Will looked over, eyes bulging as he recognized what was going on. 

The police were escorting Porphyrion into the nearest police car, and he was not exercising his right to remain silent. He thrashed against them, letting out fowl curses, using his powerful legs to try and knock them off. The woman officer ran over to assist them. When a gun was placed to his back, he grew silent, remembering his position.

The threat of death can tame even the most unruly natures. 

But Nico’s nature was churning, hot and wild and deadly, untamed in the slightest. Seeing that  _ killer _ , walked around undetected made him want to pull out his bowie knife and-

“Will,” Nico said, voice quiet. “I want to kill him.”

Will ran his thumb over Nico’s knuckles. “Nico-”

“I want to kill him. I’m not just saying that. I want to drive a knife into his heart and watch life leave his eyes. I want him to die. I want him dead.” Nico took a shuddery breath. “I want him  _ dead _ .”

Will moved one hand to Nico’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. “That’s okay.”

“No. It’s not  _ okay _ .” Nico refused to meet his eyes, the pressure of his headache increasing. “I don’t know if I could live with you knowing that I’m a… a  _ monster _ . With people looking at me like…” His grip on Will’s hand tightened. “I’m already bad enough as it is. If I had thought about it beforehand, or even known his strengths, I would have found a way to make sure he died. And that makes me just like him. And you  _ never _ would have wanted to speak to me or look at me or-”

“Shut up.”

Nico glanced up at him warily. “What?”

“I said shut  _ up _ .” Will’s eyes flared. “First off, you aren’t bad. You aren’t toxic. You aren’t evil. You are a fucking human being who feels, and who gets angry, and who understands pain in the worst ways possible.” He took Nico’s other hand again, his face softening. “And you did the hard thing by turning him in. I can’t imagine how you feel towards him. So stop beating yourself over what you could have done and start focusing that thick skull of yours on what you  _ did _ do. You turned that man in, despite how difficult that was.” Will pulled him into an embrace. “And I’m so proud of you, Nico.”

“I-” Nico’s voice broke, and he buried his face in Will’s neck.  _ Thank you.  _ He relaxed into Will’s arms, and there was something so  _ freeing  _ about it, not having the burden of his sister’s death on his shoulders. 

He had overcome the initial sadness of her death in the past few months, but Nico was never one to give up. He saw a chance, he took it, and now it was closer to being over. He clung tighter to Will. _Closer. It's getting closer to the end_ .

A small smile formed on his face. _Closer._

There was a defiant grunt as Porphyrion was shoved into a police car, and a policeman walked over, clearing his throat.

Nico hesitantly slipped out of Will’s arms, but Will kept a hand on his arm.

“Thank you for giving us a call, Mr. di Angelo,” the officer said. “Mr. Gaean has been wreaking havoc in this city for many years, and your contribution to his arrest is necessary. You will be given as much medical attention as you need.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “However, we will need to question you back at the department building, especially concerning the papers and file you gave us. Mr. Gaean is a criminal, yes, but there will be a trial concerning the deaths of Bianca di Angelo, Kallisto Ballamay and Zoë Nightshade.”

Nico swallowed hard. “Okay.” He felt Will slip an arm around his waist and subconsciously leaned into the touch. 

“I understand Officer Petra has contacted Jules-Albert, who will oversee any signings for the time being. We will be leaving momentarily.”

Will cleared his throat. “Am I allowed to come?

A surprised expression appeared on the policeman’s face, but he approved the request. “You’ll be required to wait in the lobby during the questioning.”

Will nodded, and the officer reminded Nico of their timely departure.

As soon as they were alone again, Nico remembered the weight in his jacket.

Nico quickly turned to Will, taking his hand. “I need you to hide this in your car.”

Will looked bewildered before Nico slid his bowie knife into Will’s grasp. “Don’t let them see it,” Nico murmured. 

Will blinked at him, then narrowed his eyes, his anger coming back. “Why do you have-”

“Later,” Nico said urgently. “Just don’t let them see it.”

Will still looked troubled, but he nodded in acceptance. “I… Okay. I’ll see you at the station.” He didn’t leave then, though, staring at Nico with relieved eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispered, not giving Nico enough time to respond.

Nico took a deep breath before turning to walk to the police, grateful for Will more than ever. 

It’s not every day you have someone who will rush to your side without explanation. It’s not every day you have someone who will put your safety first. It’s not every day you have someone who will trust you wholeheartedly, without question, without complaint.

Nico seated himself in the designated police car, resting his head against the seat. It’s not every day you have someone like Will.

* * *

“ _ Fuck.”  _ Nico clenched Will’s fingers, probably bruising them in the process, but he took the pain graciously. It was nothing in comparison to what Nico was dealing with.

The doctor ー her name was Doctor Asclepia ー gave an apologetic smile, securely bandaging his injured fingers. “You are lucky a tendon wasn’t affected, although there is still significant bone damage. Nothing that cannot be fixed in time, though.”

Will nodded in agreement, observing the doctor’s actions with obvious interest. “Is his black eye superficial?”

“Can’t say for sure, but likely. I can’t imagine there is any skull damage, but there will have to be an MRI for sure.”

Nico looked at her warily. He had finally given in to the temptation of water when he had arrived, and his headache had receded significantly. 

Will let out a relieved breath. “It looks worse than it is.”

She nodded in agreement. “Thankfully. If you will, Nico, I will need you to take off your shirt so I can examine your chest and stomach.

Nico nodded, but struggled to pull his shirt off, a sudden ache overtaking his shoulders. Will gave him a lopsided grin, and wordlessly helped him. Under normal circumstances, Nico would have either blushed or snapped at him, but he just gave Will a grateful look.

Doctor Asclepia watched the scene with a small smile before returning her attention to Nico. His left side was covered in a nasty purple clump of bruises, though his right was not nearly as bad. 

She applied pressure to his pectorals first. “Any pain?”

He shook his head. “Not much.”

“Good. Your ribs will be tender, but tell me if there are any significant sharp pains or abnormalities.”

“Okay.”

She went from spot to spot relatively quickly, most of which felt normally sore, until a fierce burn spread throughout his side. Nico bit the inside of his cheek, but didn’t say anything. 

Will caught on and spoke up, knowing Nico would be too proud to say something. “That spot.”

Doctor Asclepia raised her eyebrows, then went back to the same location. Nico flinched that time, narrowing his eyes half-heartedly at Will, and she shook her head. 

“Aside from the obvious bruising, there is likely a crack or fracture or a significant bone contusion. Again, an X-ray and MRI will be needed, but there doesn’t seem to be anything too severe.”

Nico nodded again, flinching as she wrapped a bandage around his abdomen and chest, pressuring any possible wounds in. It only took a moment, and Nico worked back into his shirt afterwards.

She gave him an encouraging smile. “You and your boyfriend have a moment to talk, but someone will be by in a moment to grab you for questioning.”

Now, at  _ that _ , Nico blushed.

Once Doctor Asclepia had gone, Will grinned. “Boyfriend, huh?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Solace.”  _ Not yet, Solace.  _

Will laughed, then immediately sobered again. He gently placed his fingers against Nico’s neck, and he leaned into the touch.

“He choked you.”

Nico hadn’t realized there were marks. “I’m fine, Will.”

“You could have died.”

“I didn’t.”

“But you could have.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Goddammit, Nico.” Will let out a frustrated sigh. “You could have fucking died, and you have the decency to say you’re  _ fine _ ?”

Nico blinked. “I found who killed my sister, Will. That alone is way more important than-”

“Don’t finish that sentence. You-” Will stopped himself. “I… Okay. I… Look, I get what you’re saying, but your  _ safety _ is more important than any of that. More important than finding him.”

Nico heard the underlying question of  _ how  _ did _ you find him? _ , but he wasn’t ready to explain what he had been doing in secret for the last week.  _ Yeah, so I totally connected with a gang. No, no, it’s fine, they would only kill me if I was a threat. And I could defend myself easily, don’t worry- _

Yeah, right. Will would freak out, be pissed, and freak out some more.

“Mr. di Angelo?” Nico perked up, turning an officer peered through the door. “We are ready to speak with you.”

Nico nodded, and Will grabbed his hand before he could leave.

He kissed Nico’s cheek. “Good luck.” Nico blinked four times before quickly turning back to the police. 

* * *

“My name is Detective Roble.”

He was a skinny man, with skinnier arms, and his expression was tight. Nico thought he looked similar to a sponge, only dried out and extremely old. He didn’t think the man would like the comparison, so he kept it to himself.

“I will be asking you a few questions regarding your interactions and knowledge of Mr. Gaean.”

Nico nodded, his eyes flitting to the camera in the top corner of the room, then back to the detective. “Okay.” 

“What is your name?”

“Nico di Angelo.”

Detective Roble adjusted his papers. “When did you first interact with Mr. Gaean?”

Nico shifted in his seat. “Yesterday afternoon.”

He glanced up momentarily. “Describe the events leading up to your interaction. Had you heard his name before? Were you pressured into seeing him? How did you find his address?” 

Nico blew out a breath.  _ God, how much could he tell him? He would have to say something about Luke, and who knows where that could lead him. He would have to say how he threw the first punch. What would- _

“Mr. di Angelo, I will need you to answer my questions in a timely manner. Your silence will be interpreted according to the situation.”

Nico blew out a breath. Then, he spoke. He kept his voice blank, unsure where this conversation was going to head. There was a lot of sensitive information that he would have to work around. He told the detective about meeting at Sbarro’s, claiming Luke was a friend. He told him practically everything, even admitting to throwing the first punch, but he discreetly left out information that could connect him with either The Sortiria or The Salvation. 

Afterwards, Detective Roble nodded, and voiced his follow up questions. “How long has your sister been dead?” Records would say as much, but Nico figured the question was just a formality. A ‘ _ just in case _ ’ sort of thing.

Nico took a deep breath. “She’s been dead for nearly two years.”

He pushed one of his papers towards Nico, and he immediately recognized the letter. “Does this date match your sister’s death?”

Nico nodded. “Yes.”

“Other than the video footage and the documents you turned in, do you have any further evidence that he killed your sister and the other two girls?” From the way he spoke of the information already collected, the video footage must have been legitimate. That meant the flash drive really did have proof. Nico drummed his fingers against the table. That meant Luke hadn’t lied. 

In response to Detective Roble’s question, Nico wanted to say,  _ I just know _ , but he shook his head regardless. “No.”

Detective Roble nodded. “That will be all. We will keep in contact with you and your father.”

Nico blinked, standing. “I… Okay.”

A pair of officers entered the room and led him out, and Nico couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. Had he said too much? Not enough? What if they didn’t believe him? Nico’s face hardened. There was going to be a trial for the case of his sister’s death, along with the two other girls. Nico would do anything in his power to make sure he was found guilty.

Turns out there was another step. It was over, but not quite. Finished, but just started.

After all, endings were only new beginnings, right?

* * *

Will immediately stood up when he walked out, face tight in worry. Nico didn’t know how long he’d been in there, but clearly it had been long enough to make Will upset.

“You didn’t have to stay,” Nico murmured, stopping just out of reach. Not that he was resisting to urge to hug Will again.

Totally not.

Will rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. I can’t imagine how you are feeling right now. Emotionally and…” He lost his train of, his eyes going over Nico's exposed injuries, lingering on his neck and face. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Nico was grateful he didn't say anything about his bowie knife. That conversation would come later.

“I…” Nico blew out a breath. “I’m sorry I made you come. Especially after the conversation we had earlier. I’m not trying to confuse you. I’m not trying to… to make it seem like… I…” He trailed off, then regained his voice. “You’re my best friend, too.” Nico blushed awkwardly. “I’ve never really said it back. And when the police told me I should call someone… I just… Well, I figured, I…”

Will smiled his dorky smile. “So what you’re saying is, this has nothing to do with you liking me, it has to do with the fact that you’re my  _ buddy _ .”

Nico snorted, and relief washed over him. “Only you would put it that way.”

“So as your  _ best bud _ , I have permission to hug you?”

“You’ve already pushed your luck today, Solace.”  _ If I give in now, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop. _

Will huffed. “You act like showing affection is a disease.”

Nico gave him a look.

“Okay, maybe to  _ you _ it is, but to  _ me _ , it’s actually  _ nice _ .”

Nico’s eyes slid behind him, where Jules-Albert was conversing with a few officers. Well, more like the policeman was talking and his chauffeur was staring at him with wide, blank eyes. 

Nico returned his attention to Will. “I should get going. But… uh… thank you. I know this was probably so out of the way especially with your family in town and I know that I probably freaked you out and you’re probably sick of-”

“Can I push my luck one more time?”

Nico gave a small, miniscule nod, and Will stepped closer, placing a tender kiss to his forehead. “Keep me updated on when the trial is happening, okay?”

Nico sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Will gave him a fond smile. “You’re getting taller, di Angelo.” And with a small wave, he headed towards the door, leaving Nico to reminisce in the feelings Will sent his way.

* * *

Upon instruction, Jules-Albert had taken him to the nearest medical center first. His hand was casted, and everything else he was instructed to ice or take medication for. His ribs would heal from rest, not that Nico was going to stay in bed all day, but there was nothing too serious.

Nico had Jules-Albert take him to Jason’s house afterward, well after dark had fallen. He would rather face him now than at school, give him some sort of explanation.

Even with the door closed, an argument was clearly heard from outside. Nico came at a bad time.

“You said you wanted to talk. Not try and get back together.” That was definitely Piper.

“Can we try to be civil about this?” Unmistakably Jason. “I’m just telling you how I  _ feel _ .”

Piper’s voice was unusually strained. “How you feel about me isn’t going to pull us back together.”

“There are other things involved. Our futures. Our schedules. Our personalities. It’s not all about love, Jason.”

His voice got quiet, and Nico could barely catch on. “Love?”

“I can’t do this anymore, Jason. We broke up for a  _ reason _ .”

“At least own up to why-”

“I’m done going over this. I’m done talking. I’m done going through the reasons I can’t be with you and you can’t be with me. So just fucking accept it!”

“You’re making this complicated!” 

“Do not pin this on me, Jason Grace!” The door clicked and swung open, and an angry Piper stormed out, nearly slamming into Nico. If he hadn’t been so injured, he would moved out of the way, but thankfully she pulled up short.

“What-” Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with a hand. “Oh my God, Nico. What happened?”

Jason had come out directly after her, equally as shocked. “What-”

“I’ll tell you inside,” he said quietly, shouldering past them and moving towards the door. As much as he loved Piper, he wasn’t in the mood to talk to her right now, especially after what he just witnessed.

The moment he entered the house, Jason slid back in front of him. “What the hell-” He froze. “Did someone  _ strangle  _ you?!” His fingers brushed over Nico’s neck, and he stepped back. Jason was like a brother to him, but the touch was bothersome. 

It wasn’t like Will. When Will touched him…

Well, when Will touched him, it made him want to melt into his arms, and he wasn’t sure whether he hated it or lived for it. 

But that wasn’t the point. 

Nico moved and sat down at the kitchen table. “I found Bianca’s killer. There’s a trial soon. Probably next week.”

“What?”

Nico took a deep breath, blinking the tears away. “A lot happened today.” 

And that’s when he came undone.

He didn’t cry. He wasn’t ready to cry in front of someone, not yet. But he did speak. Just spoke and spoke and spoke and spoke and told Jason all of his worries. His pain upon seeing Porphyrion. His worry about the trial. His anxieties about so many things .

And sure, he didn’t utter a word about any gang, even though Jason was somewhat knowledgable about The Salvation. Sure, he didn’t shed a tear, unable to cry with company.

But he told him a lot, and he told him enough, and that was what mattered.

When he had finished, he felt completely drained, slumping back in his seat. Jason looked at him with astonishment and compassion before he smiled.

“Thank you for trusting me, Nico.”

And dammit, if Jason didn’t always know what to say.

He gave Nico a serious look. “You could’ve died.”

Nico let out a breathy laugh. “No shit, Sherlock.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay.”

They sat in silence for a moment, both thinking their own thoughts, and then Jason sighed. 

“Why’d you call Will?”

Nico frowned. At first it sounded like Jason was insulted that he wasn’t the one called, but Nico sensed something else in his words. 

“He was the first person that popped into my head,” Nico said honestly, and he didn’t even try to stop the words. Today, he could afford a little more honesty, especially with Jason. He needed a day to just say what he was thinking. 

A small smile came up on Jason’s face. “He’s not just a crush, is he?”

Nico closed his eyes, slowly shaking his head. “He’s my best friend, Jason. And…” He buried his face in his hands.  _ Oh God, I can’t believe I’m telling him this. _ “He has feelings for me.”

Jason raised his eyebrows. “What?”

Nico picked at a speck on his jeans. “He has feelings for me and he wants to be with me and I’m not ready yet.” Okay, maybe there was such a thing as  _ too  _ much honesty, but Nico was on a roll. He wasn’t going to stop now.

“I… When did he  _ tell _ you?” 

“Well, I mean…” Nico took a breath. “I kinda already knew, but we talked earlier today. Before… Well, before all hell broke loose.”

Jason gaped at him. “You  _ knew?! _ I thought you two were oblivious and…” He shook his head in disbelief. 

“I thought that pretending it couldn’t ever happen would make it go away,” Nico admitted. “But I knew. He knew. We knew- know. We know. I’m just the fucking hold up. I’m not going to pull him into something I’m not ready for.”

Jason was silent for a moment before letting out a sharp laugh. “Has he kissed you yet?”

Nico glared at him. “Really, Grace?” And thus he redrew his honesty line. Honesty Day officially _over_. Once conversation delved into  that realm, Nico wasn’t going to tell Jason shit. Not that he had much to say.

“Yes,  _ really. _ ”

“Fuck off.”

“Hey, you’re the one who started talking.”

Nico opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again.  _ He’s right. _

Desperate for a change in subject, Nico remembered the events from before he came inside. “What’s with you and Piper?”

His eyes filled with pain and frustration, uncharacteristic for Jason’s usual neutral manner. “I guess it’s the same thing as you and Will, really. We both have feelings for each other, yet it doesn’t change anything, does it?”

Nico stared at him, understanding those words in more ways than one. “Because there are other factors.”

Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Always other factors.”

Never so simple were things, not death, not accusations, and certainly not love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think so far!!


	9. Not Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial comes and goes, and for once, there isn't an unexpected turn. Nico gets a sneak peak into bad blood between Thalia and Luke, but he lets himself free from the harshness of life for a few moments, learning that the pain he carries will never be too much for Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy (:

The trial took place two weeks later, thirteen days before Halloween.

Those two weeks had been hell. Nico woke up the first night with blaring pain in his side, and he didn’t fall back asleep. His eye was healing relatively quickly, and his hand was projected to be un-casted just after November rolled in, but his ribs were another story.

He knew they didn’t find anything abnormal in the MRI, but it didn’t feel that way.

School was the worst part. Nico refused to skip, mostly because of his pride and partly so he could see Will ー oh, come on, can you blame him? ー but the attention he got was suffocating.  _ Who’d you fight? Damn, did someone choke you? That’s fucking crazy. What’s with the cast? Can I sign it? _

Nico didn’t let anyone sign it. It was black, anyway, almost subtle enough to blend into his usual attire.

He didn't do _cast-signings_.

In short, the entire week was filled with anxiety. Will’s fifth swim meet, the second one hosted at Goode, couldn’t cheer him up. Even the approaching holiday gave him no relaxation. He begrudgingly worked on the school project, but all three of them decided to put off the majority of the work until a week before Halloween. Only those involved or closest to Nico knew about the trial, and everyone else was left in the dark, left to speculate why Nico was back to being quiet and irritable. His mood swings were starting to give many, many people whiplash. 

But the day of the trial came, and none of that mattered anymore.

Nico arrived early, sitting in the back rows at the mostly empty room. Hades would be coming soon, flying in from Maryland, and Nico wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. They had spoken over the phone, dealing with getting a lawyer and figuring other details out. It had been tense, especially considering his sudden encounter with Porphyrion, and Nico couldn’t see an in-person interaction going any better.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and jumped in shock, cursing under his breath. 

Jason squeezed his arm comfortingly. “You ready?”

Nico slouched in the pew. “Yeah.”

“You're nervous.”

He hesitated, his voice only a whisper. “Yeah.”

Jason squeezed past him and sat down. “Don’t worry, Nico. All of the evidence is stacked against him.”

“He fucking admitted  _ on tape _ and there is still a trial. What is fucking wrong with this country?”

Jason tapped his fingers on the seat. “They’ll take anything they can get at this point, but all you have to do is give witness and let everyone else do their job.”

Nico nodded, suddenly remembering that this wasn’t just for Bianca. His jaw tightened. This was for Kallisto and Zoë, too.

“Is Thalia coming?”

Jason nodded warily. “Yeah. But…”

“What?”

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “I didn’t tell her Luke would be here.”

Nico tensed. “Why didn’t you? He’s giving witness, too, and if she shows up and takes away any of his credibility by-”

“She won’t,” Jason said quickly. “At least, I hope not.”

“You had one job,” Nico grumbled. Luke was the most crucial witness they had, supposedly with Porphyrion the night he confessed. The tape recording should easily be enough, but Luke’s word was important, no matter how much Nico himself might question it. If Thalia arrived and caused a scene, she could undermine him and the entire process, and that wouldn’t be doing anyone any favors.

“It’s okay, Nico.”

And he wanted to believe him, really. But Nico had a sneaking suspicion Jason’s words wouldn’t have as much sway as those of another blonde.  _ God, I wish Will were already here. _

Nico was about to ask something else when Hades strode through the back doors.

Sometimes, when his father was away for business, Nico forgot what a commanding presence he had. Everyone’s eyes shifted to him, studying his serious expression and heavy trench coat. He walked next to their appointed lawyer ー a successful woman by the name of Mal Nemesis. They spoke in low voices, waltzing straight through the center of the room to the front.

Jason shifted in his seat. “I’ve heard she’s only lost one case, and that’s because the losing side offered her money she couldn’t turn down, despite the odds being against them.”

Nico looked over at Jason warily. “She’s lost twice. But, yeah. Dad isn’t going to settle for anything less.” He sighed. For as nonchalant as Hades had acted about the trial process so far, the fact that he was willing to hire Nemesis showed that this mattered to him. That  _ Bianca _ still mattered to him. 

It made Nico feel a little less distanced from his father, despite the miles between them.

A body slid into the row behind him. “You told me it started at seven, Jason.”

Nico turned to see a rather annoyed Thalia, who crossed her arms and gave her brother a pointed look.

Jason gave a shrug. “If I had told you the real time,  _ you _ would have been late.”

Thalia scoffed. “You’re lucky Reyna was able to give me a ride.”

Nico glanced between them. “Thalia, there’s something-”

And that’s when Luke walked in.

Nico had tried to say something, but fate had intervened. There would be no time for an explanation.

“What the fuck?” Thalia’s eyes were deadly cold, trained on Luke as if he were prey. Nico could see a vein bulging from her forehead.

Jason winced. “Please, Thals, just-”

Thalia abruptly stood, marching towards him with a furious expression.

“We need him for Bianca, Thalia," Nico said quickly, voice barely audible. "Stop walking.” He was never one to order around Thalia of all people, but he couldn’t just let her do something stupid, something potentially irreversible. 

She pulled up short, her fists shaking at her side. Nico remembered a similar occurrence with Percy last year, when someone had insulted his mother at lunch. It was a senior, clearly full of himself, but the look in Percy’s eyes was deadly. He could have punched the lights out of that guy if Annabeth hadn’t stopped him, a parallel of what was happening right now.

He had no doubt Thalia could send him to his death in a heartbeat, but that would have to wait. 

Luke turned and gave a broad smile. “Thals! It’s been a long time!”

Her eyes burned, but Nico stepped up beside her. “Glad you could make it,” Nico said through tight teeth.

Luke gave him a wide smile, clamping Nico’s uninjured hand in a strong handshake. “Good to see you.” Nico could see the edge of his snake tattoo peeking out from the fabric of his shirt, and it reminded him that Luke's friendly behavior was nothing more than an act.

“I’m glad to be helping your family turn in this criminal,” he continued, and his gaze shifted to Thalia. “Justice must be served.” Thalia turned on her heel and walked back to Jason, practically leaving a trail of fire behind her.

Nico’s eyes twitched, but he nodded in agreement. “Yes. It does.”

Luke settled into a pew a few seats in front of where the Grace siblings were settled. Jason was speaking in a low voice to his sister, but Thalia was too furious to care. She shot Nico a look of  _ why-the-fuck-did-you-invite-this-fucking-asshole?  _ before going back to glaring at the back of his head.

More and more people filtered in before Nico caught sight of Will’s extravagant curly blonde locks bouncing over to him. If he wasn't so caught up in anticipatioon for the trial, he would have appreciated how good Will looked dressed up (though he surely would remember later).

“Hey, sorry I’m late.” Will gave a quick grin. “Angelica broke Alfonso’s favorite action figure,  _ again _ , and World War III just about started.” Nico tried to smile, but it didn’t work out.

Will narrowed his eyes abruptly. “Who’s that?” Nico followed his gaze. Thalia had gone off into the crowd, and Luke had moved over to sit by Jason. Luke whispered something in his ear, and Jason went white as a ghost in response, knuckles tightening. Nico stiffened at the motion, but didn’t say anything. Not here. He just needed Luke to cooperate, help find Porphyrion guilty, and get the fuck out.

Simple, right?

“That’s Luke,” Nico said slowly.

“The guy who-”

“The guy who gave me the evidence.” Nico knew Will would view him through a protective lens ー the _ this is the guy who pushed Nico to look for Porphyrion and got him beat up _ type lens ー but there wasn’t anything Nico could do about that.

He also didn’t think now was the time to mention Luke was the leader of The Salvation. Or bring up the fact that there were two gangs he had been involved with to some degree. Or tell Will everything he had kept a secret.

One look at Will’s tense figure warned him against it. 

Nico rested a hand on Will’s arm. “He’s what got me here.”

Will brushed his finger over the fading bruise of Nico’s eye, deliberate slow to speak. “He got you here, huh?”

Nico’s eyebrows pulled together. “Will.”

“Nico.”

Nico sighed, noticing how Will’s hands lingered against his cheek. He also recognized the fact that he was in no hurry to pull away. “I don’t like him, either, but we can’t undermine him before the trial. He’s our biggest asset.”

Will huffed. “He doesn’t sit right with me.” _ He doesn’t stand right with me, either _ , Nico thought sourly. He ran his eyes over the collected crowd before turning back to Will, making a split decision.

“Let’s get ice cream after this.” 

Will raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me on a date?”

“I’m not asking anything.” 

“Damn, di Angelo.” Nico could tell he held back a whistle, if only because of how many people surrounded them. “So bold.”

Nico gave him a weak smile. “I’m getting taller, after all.”

Will laughed. “Yeah.” He gave Nico a tender smile. “I can see that.”

And in a brief moment, Nico’s heart warmed, and he wasn’t so anxious anymore.

* * *

The trial was nothing to worry about.

Porphyrion had been brought out, handcuffed and irritated, but somewhat calm. He was guilty of other crimes, theft and assault and the like, and would remain in prison regardless of this trial, but the verdict given about his role in Bianca’s death would dictate for how long.

Once the judge had called the court to order, everything went exactly as planned. Nico, Luke, and a few others bore witness, either to having seen Porphyrion confess or having witnessed his brutality first or secondhand. There was some advantage to Nico still having prominent injuries; Porphyrion's ability to use his strength for negative purposes was made clear. Luke spoke as he had planned to, listing out the events leading up to Porphyrion’s (drunk) confession and admittance to the killing of three girls. He was clever in his wording, just as they had rehearsed, but the way he spoke made Nico  _ want _ to believe him, made him suck up every word-

No. He may have been truthful this time, but branding him as an honest, good-to-all man was not the way to go.

There was a thickness to the air when both sides had concluded their final statements, but the anxiety didn’t last long. As soon as he was proclaimed guilty, something strange happened. The hole in Nico's heart had been healing for some time, and was almost completely patched up, but it was as if a roadblock was removed, and the blood could pump more freely throughout his body, sending life into every cell and space. Watching them take him away, watching them take away the captor of Bianca’s life…

It was freeing, to say the least. 

Hades approached him soon after. They embraced in a simplistic, formal way, but it was enough for both of them.

Nico nodded in gratitude. “Miss Nemesis did everything we needed her to do and more.”

“Yes.” Hades regarded him with his dark eyes. “How are you?” It was never so often that his father inquired about his well-being in such a straightforward way, and Nico found himself answering whole-heartedly.

“I feel like I finally…” He struggled to form the right words. “That her death is finally… that she…”

“Like her death is finally her own.”

Nico looked up at him in surprise before nodding. “Like her death is finally her own.”

Some other acquaintances expressed their feelings and kindness to Nico and his father, most of which he took in silence. It didn’t take long for the space to clear and the rows to empty, and Nico was surprised to find Luke gone. He pegged him as the type to linger, to continue conversation after the conversation had ended, but he was nowhere in sight.

But once Nico walked through the back doors, stepping over to a waiting Will underneath the wide balcony, he realized why.

Thalia and Luke were facing each other by the curb, where Jason sat in the driver’s seat of his car. He could tell Jason wanted to leave, but Thalia was busy.

“Fuck you! Fuck  _ you _ !” Thalia threw her hands up, and Nico was shocked to see stains on her cheeks. Tears of anger, of frustration. 

Of loss, it seemed, the more he listened to her yell at him. He suspected the only reason she didn’t outright attack him was because of their close proximity to a courtroom.

“You promised me!” Thalia was saying, her words lined with years of hurt and betrayal. “You promised Annabeth! And what did you do- What the  _ fuck  _ did you do?” Her nostrils flared. “Remember all those fucking years ago where we lived on the fucking streets? I thought not. Because you have your followers, and you have yourself. And that’s all you’ve ever fucking needed isn’t it?”

Luke gave her a small smile, but it was strained. “Still so intense.”

Thalia laughed angrily. “You know what? Fuck your  _ followers _ . Fuck  _ you _ .” She leaned in closer, a nasty sneer across her face. “Fuck. You.”

She spun on her heel, hopping into Jason’s door and slamming the door. Luke was gone before Nico could blink, and he stood with Will under the balcony silently, watching as the car sped away. 

Will gave a weak smile. “So ice cream?”

Despite the poor attempt to disregard the heated interaction, Nico sighed, taking his hand. “Ice cream.”

He didn't want to think about what he had just witnessed, so he didn't. He would have time for that later. Now, it was time to go on a date.

* * *

  
  


“You didn’t have to come today,” Nico said, sitting across from Will in the corner of Morgenstern’s Ice Cream Shop, repeatedly stabbing his vanilla and oreo ice cream blend with his spoon. 

“I know how important it was to you.”

Nico glanced at him, then back at his bowl. “Thank you.”

“Thank _ you  _ for letting me be there for you.”

Nico squeezed his eyes shut, a wave of guilt rolling over him. “I’m so sorry, Will.”

Will immediately moved his chair to sit by Nico, placing a hand tentatively on his back. “Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about.”

Nico buried his face in his hands. “You’ve waited. And waited. And you’ve been so damn patient with me. But I… God, I have so much baggage, Will. Too much. I don’t want to put that on you. There’s so much that’s happened to me, so much that I haven’t told you. And you’ve already taken weight from my shoulders without even knowing and I can’t just-”

Will pulled his hands off from over his eyes. “Nico di Angelo, you listen to me.”

Nico kept his eyes closed, but stopped talking.

“Not any part of you is too much for me. Not your past, not your present, not your future.” Will ran a thumb over his cheekbone and Nico let out a breath. “Not your mood swings, as moody and swingy as they are. Not your mind, as differently as it might think from mine. Not your decisions, even though I might disagree. None of you is too much.”

Nico opened his eyes, leaning into Will’s touch. “I…” His voice broke off.  _ What do I say to that?  _

“All of you,” Will whispered. “I want all of you. And every part of you will  _ always _ be enough.”

That’s where a kiss would have been perfectly timed, but another customer walked through the door, making both boys jump, interrupting the calm atmosphere. 

Nico snorted softly, a bright blush on his cheeks. “I suppose we deserved that.”

Will grabbed his ice cream bowl from across the table and nodded. “We  _ are _ in the middle of Morgenstern’s after all.”

Nico managed a small smile, leaning over speculatively. “What flavor?”

“Orange.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “Seriously?”

Will laughed. “No.”

“Thank-”

“I got Pumpkin Stracciatella Gelata mixed with Brown Butter Bacon.” He swallowed a spoonful and grinned. “And a little bit of chocolate.”

“I can’t even look at you right now.”

Will rolled his eyes. “Hey, my personal obsessions should have no effect on you.”

“And you say you’re going to be a doctor,” Nico mumbled, setting his empty cup down. 

Will scoffed. “Name me one doctor who actually eats healthy.” 

“I couldn’t name you one doctor, period. Except for Derek Shepherd.”

Will choked on his ice cream. “You watch Grey’s Anatomy?”

Nico gave a small smirk. “Maybe.”

And they enjoyed the rest of their date in a simple bliss. That’s all there was to it, despite everything. And it was much, much easier than Nico had expected, simply because Will made it easy.

* * *

Nico didn’t want to go inside. He didn’t want to talk to Hades. He didn’t want to be alone.

But mostly, he didn’t want to leave Will’s side.

Nico held tightly to his hand, staring at the door like it was a gateway to hell.  _ I don’t want to leave you. You said you  _ want _ me. That I'm not too much for you.  _

He glanced over, where Will was fidgeting nervously. “Nico?”

Nico tilted his head slightly, and he took a step closer. “Yeah?” His voice came out more breathless than he had intended.

“Can I…” He brought one hand to the back of Nico’s neck. “Can I kiss you?”

Nico leaned a little bit closer, feeling the warmth Will’s breath on his face. He noticed the heat from his cheeks shimmering in the air. He placed his hand on Will’s chest, noting the fast, steady pulse of his heart. 

“Yes.”

And then, the gentle pressure of Will’s lips, the hesitant brush of their noses, the deepness of the breaths mingling together. 

It only lasted a moment, a whisper of a kiss, a whisper of what they felt, and when they separated, staring at each other, completely still, inches of space between them, an unexplainable feeling surged through every part of their bodies.

“Will,” Nico murmured, and they came back together, hands in hair, lips moving passionately because this,  _ this _ , was what they had been missing. Every touch sent fire throughout his entire body, melting any thoughts, any notion of uncertainty flying into the air. Will’s gentle hands wove into his hair, slid down his neck, balled the fabric of his shirt. And the kiss itself was dizzying, leaving Nico unsure whether to pull away for air or dive deeper.

Because this was Will. He was kissing Will. 

_ Fucking finally. _

Nico had never kissed someone before. Sure, he’d been kissed against his will, and he sure as hell had imagined it before, in great detail in some cases, but he had never known what it felt like until now. Breathing with the other person, adjusting every second, separating and coming back together like magnets. And admittedly, he was probably doing it all wrong.

But that was okay. It was okay because it was  _ Will _ .

Because to Nico, it wasn’t just a kiss. To Nico, it was more than any words could ever say. The expression of  _ I want you in my life _ and  _ I’m trying to become better _ all wrapped into an action of passion.

To Nico, it was a promise. And right now, with every brush of their skin, every turn of the head, every subtle change of pressure, they were making promises to each other.

In reality, it couldn’t have lasted long, both of them as lacking in experience as they were. Nico pressed his forehead against Will’s once they had separated, his cheeks flushed and his heart hammering in his throat.

“Will.”

“Nico.”

And that’s all they said. They spoke very little, just the occasional murmur of the other’s name as Nico buried his face in Will’s neck. They stood there silently, breathing together, before Will spoke softly in his ear.

“Are your ribs okay?”

And of  _ course,  _ Will would ask such a thing. In all truth, Nico had completely forgotten about the fading bruises, too enveloped in the trial beforehand, and helplessly focused on Will now.

“Yeah.”  _ I’m okay. I’m okay and now I have  _ you _. _

Will stepped back, and Nico immediately missed his warmth. How could Will make him crave physical touch in this way? How could he go from not wanting to see anyone from wanting Will to hold him in his arms?

It was crazy. Nico couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Absolutely crazy.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Nico nodded as Will took a step towards his jeep, eyes still locked.

“Yeah,” Nico said in response, feeling his heart flutter helplessly. Because Will wanted  _ all  _ of him, down to the darkest parts of his darkest nights and the brightest parts of his brightest days. Will had no reservations, no second doubts, no question in his mind.

_ And neither do I _ , Nico realized as Will’s jeep pulled away. _I..._ _ Neither do I. _

He was ready. One step at a time. One moment after the last.

Because Will…

Will was someone worth being ready for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!!  
> Just wanted to say one thing - you may be thinking "Nico's character is all over the place" or "they are too inconsistent".  
> That's the point.   
> Growth isn't linear. Relationships aren't linear. And people will never, ever be linear.   
> If this wasn't an AU and I was writing Nico post-tartarus, he would be consistently quieter, angrier, and angstier, and while he is all those things in this work, there is more room for change. The experiences in this alternate universe differ with that in his canon life, and therefore his character will differ in some ways as well.  
> Anyway, with that being said, I would love any comments or feedback! Thank you so much for reading, and I will try to keep updating consistently!  
> (P.S. I do not ship Jiper, but if you do, that's totally awesome! #freedomtoship. I have a few ships involving Jason, one of my all time favorites being Valgrace, so that might be a future part of this work :D)


	10. Let's Be Boyfriends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico is prone to overthinking, but Will is there to help sort things out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a strangely fun chapter (: it's so fluffy and angsty somewhat and just so adorable ahhhh i love them so much

Nico didn’t know what to do.

Jules-Albert took him to school. He barely passed a test in first period. He spaced out throughout second. He blanked when he was asked a question in third.

All because of Will fucking Solace.

What was he going to do? He had never wanted to be with someone before Will. And he had expected the kiss to somewhat tame his Will-obsession, but no. No, it made it ten billion fucking times worse.

All he could think about was Will and his stupid lips and his stupid dorky self and his Star Wars obsession and everything else in his life went out the window. Was he supposed to ignore the fact that they kissed? Walk up to him and do it again? How did this _thing_ work?

 _Are we boyfriends?_ Nico asked himself, multiple times that day. _Does he assume we’re boyfriends? Should I ask him?_ He tried to fight off the sickening whimsical feeling that came over him when viewing Will through the boyfriend lens. 

In short, Nico was having a moderate to severe gay panic, and the cure was seemingly unknown.

Lunch started out normal enough. He was one of the first of his friends to the table, along with Frank and Rachel, and he was finally starting to calm down. He talked to them about their classes, and Hazel came over to ask how he was healing from his injuries. He didn't have much to tell, other than that his cast would probably come off in a few days and his ribs were feeling significantly better. Soreness in his shoulders had definitely subsided as well. Even his facial bruising had faded to nothing within the last few days. When conversation between the small group began to lag, Nico reminded himself that all he had to do was get through lunch. _Just a little bit longer. Don't stress yourself out. Calm down._

That was _before_ Will walked into the cafeteria.

Kayla was at his side, but she might as well have been invisible. Once Nico spotted Will, he simultaneously felt incredibly giddy and incredibly anxious. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? They hadn’t discussed anything. They hadn’t even put a label to whatever they were. 

Will’s gaze slid over and stuck to him, and his heart jumped. _Shit._

Reyna sat down beside him. “Thalia told me that the trial went well.” She could have said something about flying ships and he would have been just as grateful. Anything to pull him out of Will land.

Nico nodded, giving her a small smile. “Yeah.”

“She also said a certain someone showed up.”

“Yeah.” Nico flexed his good hand, blowing out a breath. “Luke directed me to Porphyrion. He needed to be there.” _He’s also the leader of The Salvation._ God, how many times would he leave that out of an explanation?

Reyna narrowed her eyes. “He’s a bitch.”

“Without him, a killer would still be walking free,” Nico said defensively, unsure why he was backing up Luke _again_. He couldn’t help but correct them instinctually, knowing without Luke, he never would have found Porphyrion.

It made hating him hard, and not trusting him even harder. 

Reyna gave him a wary look before sighing. “Piper’s coming back today.”

Nico raised his eyebrows. “She’s been gone?” He didn’t even pretend to be guilty for not noticing.

“Off in Spain for her father’s movie.” She rolled her eyes. “Ditches us for two weeks just because. Said something about a post-break-up realization and danced her way off to a foreign country.”

Leo padded over and plopped down, eyes wide. “She’s in Spain? Why the hell wouldn’t she take me with her?”

Jason joined in the conversation, and the table started to grow in population. “Probably because you’d burn down some museum.”

“You start a fire and no one lets you forget it,” Leo muttered, “and it was only the last floor, not the whole building.”

Reyna raised her eyebrows. “Now _this_ is a story I have to hear.”

Jason took a bite out of an apple. “Well, in third grade-”

“No, no, stop.” Leo held up a hand. “You’re gonna ruin it. Let the Super-sized McShizzle tell the tale.” Jason snorted and Nico swore he saw a faint blush rise to his cheeks.

“Here we go,” Reyna muttered as Leo launched into a detailed description of the event. Thalia corrected him every other sentence, which made for a rather interesting retelling.

Nico observed Jason throughout the story. Jason looked at Leo in a different way than usual, with less reservation, and had this weird _smile_ on his face. A smile Nico personally knew, not because he had seen it on Jason, but because he had seen it on Will, and he had seen it on himself this morning in the mirror when reminiscing over kissing Will. 

So yes, it was a little strange to see that smile on Jason’s face, especially when directed at a certain curly-haired boy.

Will’s weight suddenly settled in next to him on the opposite side of Reyna, effectively severing his train of thought. “Hey.”

Nico turned red, immediately tensing up and losing track of the other conversation. “Uh. H-Hi.” Who gave a shit about Jason's weird smile when Will was in the room? Because Nico didn't.

Will smiled. “Can I talk to you?”

Nico swallowed hard. “Uh, yeah. Yeah.”

Will slid off his chair, and Nico followed, ignoring the wolf-whistle from Thalia. Well, either her, Reyna, or Leo. All three were worthy suspects.

They walked into the hallway and Will pulled him to a stop, smiling. “So.”

Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “I… S-So… Um.”

Will captured his gaze. “Can I call you my boyfriend?”

Nico flushed, but a great warmth spread through his body from his gut. “We’re having this conversation at school?” 

Will’s ears turned red with embarrassment, but he smirked regardless. 

“I mean, you could have asked me b-before you took off,” Nico continued, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Crazy cousins,” Will reminded him gently. “Had to get them ready before they left this morning. Besides, my brain was too muddled up to think about clarifications.”

Nico pursed his lips slightly, knowing anything else he said would come out half-formed. _At least I wasn’t the only one flustered by last night_.

Will laughed. “But seriously. Do you _want_ to be my boyfriend?” Nico knew that Will knew the answer to that, but he also knew Will wanted a clear answer.

“I mean… I mean y-yeah. I guess that’s…” He took a deep breath. “Uh. You could be my- my uh… significant other?” Nico’s face exploded into flames. “I mean, it’s not like they’ll be surprised. We’ve been on plenty of dates that we don’t call dates and now I guess we’re going on dates for real now maybe so I guess-”

“Nico.” Will tilted his chin up and he blinked thrice in response. “There’s no need to be nervous. It’s just me.”

Nico let out a breath. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

“We don’t have to put labels if you don’t want labels. I’m not going to push you.”

“That’s not fair to you.” Nico bit his lip. “I _want_ to be your… your… God, why the hell is this so hard? It’s just a word. It’s just a word.”

Will’s eyes softened. “Nico, it’s okay-”

“No! No, stop that. Stop being so-” Nico took a step back, jabbing a finger in his direction. “Stop being so Will about this! Tell me to stop being a coward!”

Will grinned. “Stop being a coward.”

“Dammit, Will!” Nico ran a hand through his hair. He sucked in a breath. “I want to be your boyfriend, okay? There! I said it!”

Will’s grin only widened. “Boyfriend, huh?” Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. _Why the hell is it only easy in my head?_ Will placed his hands on his waist, and Nico jumped at the contact before relaxing. He could relax. Relaxing was good. He let out a small sigh. Will made him _want_ to relax. 

“I know that with stuff like this, we usually just assume what the other person is thinking and what the other person feels,” Will said lightly. “But we needed some clarity this time.”

Nico sighed. _How does Will always_ do _that? How does he always make sense of everything?_

“I want to be your boyfriend. You want to be mine.” Will tilted his head in a way that made Nico’s insides swirl. “I think we’ve already come to a conclusion.”

The heat returned to Nico’s cheeks. “And what exactly would this, uh, b-boyfriend thing entail?”

“Oh, the usual. Kissing, hand-holding, lots of dates, movie nights, and endless teasing from our friends.”

Nico scrunched his nose at the last one. “Dealbreaker.”

Will laughed, and was about to say something else, when a gasp interrupted him. Nico hastily backed away from Will, completely caught off guard, and nearly groaned when his gaze fell on Jason.

“Were you going to tell me?” he demanded, and Nico couldn’t remember ever seeing him so upset. Jason tended to show his emotions mildly, a natural part of his character, but if his flared nostrils and intense eyes were anything to go by, he was not messing around.

Nico sighed. “I-”

Jason whirled on Will. “If you hurt him-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Will grinned. “You’ll kick my ass.”

“No.” Jason shook his head. “ _He’ll_ kick your ass.”

Will looked surprised for a moment before nodding. “I don’t doubt it.”

Nico huffed. “Damn straight.”

Jason raised his eyebrows. “Since when?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

The bell rang then, saving Nico from more conversation, and Will gave Nico a swift kiss on the cheek. “Tell Jules-Albert I’m driving you home, okay?” Nico blushed hard, nodding as Will smiled and bounced down the hall.

Jason grinned, and Nico glared back unconvincingly. “Not a word, Grace.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Jason said, but his voice was filled with elation. “I’m happy for you, by the way.”

Nico sighed. “Well, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Jason smiled warmly. “You’ll figure it out.” His face fell as he glanced down the hallway. 

Nico frowned. “What?

“Seeing Luke did a number on Thalia yesterday.” Nico followed his gaze, where Annabeth, Reyna and Thalia were deep in conversation. 

“Reyna mentioned that,” Nico said slowly, not entirely sure where this was headed.

“Seeing him did something to her,” Jason continued, leaning against the wall. “She was in a rage all night, running around the house, calling people. At some point, Annabeth came over.” He sighed. “Seeing him was like readressing their old life.”

Nico fidgeted uncomfortably. “He was my only option.”

Jason sighed. “I know. They know that, too, but that’s not their main concern.”

“What’s their main concern?”

Jason pushed off of the wall. “They’re scared he’s gonna get to you next. From what Thalia told me last night, he always finds a way to get people to trust him. It’s what makes him so dangerous.”

Nico was silent. Did he trust Luke? Not necessarily. But he didn’t _distrust_ him. How could he possibly hate him when he hadn’t proven to be bad? Leader of The Salvation or not, Luke had not done anything that directly affected him, and he had no clue what went on between Thalia, Annabeth, and Luke. His thoughts left him in a place between his friends and his supposed enemies, and it wasn’t a comfortable position.

Jason clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t think about it too much. For all we know, that’s the last we’ll see of him.”

Nico nodded, then glanced over at Jason suspiciously, desperate for a change in topic. “What’s with you and Valdez?”

Jason straightened, already sidling down the hall. “We should get to class.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help but smile, knowing that was Jason’s way of saying _I’ll tell you later_.

* * *

Nico existed throughout the rest of school in a state of _Will-is-actually-my-boyfriend_ bliss, and consequently paid no more attention in class than he had during the _Will-might-be-my-boyfriend-but-I’m-so-fucking-stressed_ phase of his day. He managed to make plans for the last week of project work with Percy and Will, but he kept getting distracted during Mr. D's class. How was he supposed to focus on work when Will was staring at him with his big blue eyes?

Because _dammit_ . All he could think about was Will’s warm hands, and the soft pressure of his lips, and the closeness of their bodies. And it didn’t help when Will stared at him with an intense fondness that made Nico nearly explode with happiness. _Stupid horomones._

After school, he walked out with Annabeth and Percy. Percy was abnormally quiet, likely picking up on Annabeth’s sour mood, and Nico was about to attempt conversing with them when a fancy car pulled up, it’s black exterior unnaturally smooth and clean.

Piper hopped out of the passenger seat, and Nico did a double take. She had cut her normally longer, choppy hair just past her ears. Her outfit was simple but to the point, and her general attitude gave off a _don’t-fuck-with-me_ vibe. 

Despite all of that, a contented smile spread across her face, effectively confusing Nico. “Hey, losers. Glad to see you’re still alive.”

Annabeth crossed her arms. “Nice haircut.” 

“It looks interesting,” Percy remarked, earning a whack from his girlfriend.

She rolled her eyes. “Felt like a change. Have you guys seen Jason?”

Nico stared at her ー why would she need to talk to _Jason_? ー and Annabeth shrugged. “Haven't seen him, but he should be coming soon.”

“Spain?” Nico turned to see Leo storming over. “Without me? Are you joking?”

Piper rolled her eyes again. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. You know where Jason is?”

Leo huffed. “He’s at a basketball meeting. And I’m still mad at you. I would _kill_ to go to Spain." He stuck his nose in the air dramatically. "And I call you my friend.” Nico ignored Leo’s fit, turning his thoughts to more important matters. Piper and Jason were talking again? The last interaction he had witnessed between them was at Jason’s house, and it was more an angry burst of emotion than an actual conversation.

Percy’s eyes widened. “Oh shit!” He cut through Leo and Annabeth, pushing back into the school building. 

Annabeth shook her head. “That boy is the most disorganized person on the planet. He’s been talking about the basketball meeting all week, yet when the day comes, it’s gone from his memory.”

“You’re _dating_ that boy,” Nico muttered, surprised at the laugh it brought out of the blonde.

“That I am,” Annabeth confirmed, and her lips turned slyly. “I heard you and Will are finally together.”

Piper’s eyebrows shot up and she cursed. “Damn. I owe Thalia twenty bucks.” 

“And Rachel owes me thirty,” Leo put in smugly.

Nico scowled. His initial thought was _Jason told them?!_ , but he quickly recognized that was a stupid question. Of _course_ Jason told them. Instead, he settled to focus on the financial aspect of their statements.

“You _bet_ on us?!”

“Thought it’d take you until second semester, but you’re ahead of schedule." Piper grinned. "Congratulations.” 

Leo smirked. “I knew you’d crack. You were practically all over each other. It was only a matter of time.”

A hand slipped into Nico’s and his cheeks burned bright red.

“I would say I disapprove of you betting on us,” Will said, “but I have money on Thalia and Reyna.”

Annabeth gave him an intense look. “Be ready to pay up, Solace.”

Will grinned. “We’ll see.” He flicked his head toward the parking lot. “Ready to go?” 

Nico nodded, still visibly flustered. “Yeah.”

There was another whistle ー definitely Leo this time ー and Nico grumbled under his breath.

Will chuckled. “You’re so cute.”

“Don’t do that!”

“Do what?”

Pure disgust overtook Nico's face. “I’m not- I'm not _cute_.”

Will nodded. “My bad. You’re _hot_ .” Nico groaned. “ _And_ you’re almost my height,” Will blurted, as if suddenly unable to contain it. Nico glanced over at him ー yes _over_ , not up.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Will huffed, but there was an obvious blush on his cheeks. “It’s annoying.”

“You’re annoying."

“You’re cute.”

“I am _not_ cute!”

Will laughed, and Nico’s scowl was slowly being forced out by a smile. But when Will’s car came into view, his elation vanished. He had been too preoccupied with the trial over the past two weeks to fully realize, but Will still had his knife. 

Will had been kind enough not to say anything. He had been generous not to ask. But Nico wasn’t going to put it off any longer. He was done putting things off.

“Will,” Nico said in a quiet voice as soon as his car door closed. “Where’s my knife?”

 _Two weeks should be enough to blow it over_ , Nico reasoned. _Maybe he won’t question me._

Yeah, no. Will definitely questioned him.

“Why do you have a knife, Nico?” He gestured toward the glove department, and Nico opened it, sliding the weapon into his jacket pocket. “And why did you have it on you?”

Of all the questions he could have asked, Will chose the most predictable ones, but it still made Nico feel incredibly small. To answer so honestly? Without leaving information out? Without lying? Was he even capable of doing that? Was he even able to say the honest truth? 

He must have spaced out for a moment, but Will looked at him strongly. “Nico, if we’re doing this, if we’re together, you can’t shut down. Starting now, that’s done. I’m not asking about everything. Just tell me this.”

“I…” Nico nodded. “I know. I’m just trying to collect your thoughts.”

Will squeezed his hand. “Take your time.”

They sat in the car in silence, the radio off, their voices held back, their hands linked. They laid back in their seats, staring at the blank car ceiling. Nico breathed, and thought, and breathed some more, trying to figure out where to start. How much was too much? How little was too little? How would Will react? 

_Dammit, just_ speak _already._

“A few years ago,” Nico said, his voice quiet. “When I was… when I was with The Sortiria, Chris and Octavian took me to get a knife.” Saying the words out loud made his throat burn, but he continued, going over his sentences in his head twice more before speaking. “When I met with Luke, I wanted to be prepared, so I took my bowie knife. We met at Sbarro’s and… and there are some dangerous people around there.” He knew that opened the floor to more questions, so he hastily continued. “I went straight from Sbarro’s to find Porphyrion. I didn’t think the cops would get involved beforehand, I didn’t think anything, really, so I was really damn lucky you were there. God knows what would’ve happened if they had found a knife on me.” He glanced at Will quickly. “Thanks for not questioning me, by the way.”

“I definitely questioned you,” Will said in contrast. “Only not out loud.” He knew Will had more questions, most of which probably centered around Luke and the omnicity surrounding his character, but Will only voiced one. “Why did you meet with Luke?”

Nico’s throat went dry. “I…” They fell back into silence, but Nico didn’t wait as long to spit out the answer. “He’s the leader of The Salvation. The other gang in the area. He was the only one who could tell me what I needed to know. Don’t…” Nico squeezed his eyes shut. “Please don’t ask anymore.”

Will patted his arm, but there was a tightness in his jaw. “Okay.” 

“And…” Nico flushed, peeking through his eyelids unsurely. “I’m sorry I can’t drive.”

Will raised his eyebrows, his features relaxing at the offered information. “What?”

“You always insist on taking me places and you shouldn’t have to but I can’t get my permit until I’m eighteen.” He left off further reasoning for that one, watching Will process his words.

“I don’t drive you because I have to, Nico,” Will said suddenly. “You have Jules-Albert for that.” He smiled his dorky smile. “I drive you because I like watching your face when I turn on ABBA. I drive you because I like hearing you mumble the words to my songs underneath your breath, even when you think I don’t notice. I drive you because every time I do, I learn a little bit more about you. It’s not an obligation." He gave a kiss to Nico's casted hand. "It’s an honor.”

“Dork,” Nico muttered, but he couldn’t keep the spark out of his eyes. 

“Plus, I missed you over the summer," Will added. "Our car rides make up that lost time. Medical camp was a fucking _blast_ , but it still lacked you.”

“I… I didn’t realize how much I missed you until I saw you,” Nico admitted, cautiously trying out the whole _being-honest-and-open-with-my-boyfriend_ thing. So far, so good.

“Your face was so priceless.”

“Excuse me?” 

“On the first day of school, you walked out of your house and looked at me like I was a celebrity. It was hilariously endearing, let me tell you.”

Nico scoffed. “I did not.”

“Did too.”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Did _not_. There’s no way you could read me that easily!”

Will snorted. “I know you try to hide your emotions, but sometimes, you’re this super attractive, open, gay book. One I would _definitely_ be interested in reading.”

Nico glared at him. “Am not!”

“Are too!”

Nico threw his hands in the air. “Well, you’re fucking _hot_ , okay? What did you expect me to do? Ignore the fact that your arms looked like they’d been carved from stone? And your broad shoulders? How was I supposed to be unaffected, huh? I’m gay and you’re Will and that combination did not go well for me! ” Nico could feel all the tension releasing from his body. He had never shared these feelings with _anyone_ before, and sharing them with Will, no matter how embarrassing, was oddly freeing. The thoughts he hadn’t been ready to voice began flying out of his mouth, mushing together as a collection of word vomit. “The first week you were back was the fucking _worst_ because I was trying to adjust to you being so… so…” Nico let out a frustrated noise. “So goddamn _intoxicating_ . Dannazione, mi fai impazzire!" Nico blinked, seeming to notice he had spoken a different language, but carried on with little pause. "And I’ve never had a lot of physical d-desires before. I’ve never even wanted to kiss someone and then you waltz in like you’re Ryan Gosling and it’s the most fucking frustrating thing. Even now. _Especially_ now.”

Will opened his mouth, but Nico was on a roll. “And that stupid _swim meet_ . You were torturing me, and you were doing it on _purpose,_ dammit! With your innuendos and stupid body and… and… Sei così fottutamente caldo!” Nico crossed his arms, steam practically shooting from his ears. 

Will gaped at him before letting out a burst of laughter. “Holy shit.”

Nico glared at him. “This isn’t funny, Solace.”

“This is _hilarious_.” A wide grin broke out across his face. “I didn’t know I had this amount of sway on you, di Angelo.”

“Fuck off,” Nico muttered, but it had no bite. “It’s not about you, it’s about _hormones_.”

“Oh?” Nico felt a sudden pressure on his knee and stilled, Will’s breath ghosting against his neck. “Are you sure about that?”

Nico shivered. “I’m not about to make out with you in your car, Will,” he muttered, though the idea seemed tempting. Tempting and extremely overwhelming.

Will smirked. “I never suggested such a thing.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “You were thinking about it, Solace.”

Will laughed in surprise. “You got me there.” His smirk returned. “So you think I’m at Ryan Gosling’s hotness level?” Nico flushed. Damn Will and his good short-term memory.

“I don’t remember saying that.”

“Oh, come on, you literally-”

“You give me more Tom Felton vibes, anyway.”

Will pouted. “Rude.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Oh, come _on_. If you don’t think Tom’s attractive, your mind is broken.”

Will shrugged. “He could never surpass Anakin, so I’m not interested.”

“Why does it _always_ have to go back to him?”

“I don’t know,” Will said hopelessly, leaning back in his seat. “I really don’t know.”

“Your gay is showing,” Nico teased, and both of them erupted into laughter. Will had said the same thing to Nico the first day of school, and it had been the reminder that it was okay to laugh. That it was okay to feel happy. That everything was okay.

As they pulled away from the school, their hands still connected, a wistful smile formed on Nico’s face. If this was what being with Will was like, he didn’t know why he let himself wait so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another big sad is gradually building up behind the scenes, but Solangelo is here to bring some happiness for the soul! :D


	11. Of Costumes & Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico learns about Jason's changing love life and is introduced to the concept of a Halloween school dance, a dance that his friends are insistent he needs a quality costume for. Nico also discovers something about Will he didn't expect and slowly realizes that he isn't the only one with baggage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK LONGER THAN USUSAL  
> expect longer updates periods life is getting a little crazy but i hope the word count makes up for the time period its about twice as long as my usual chapter length so FORGIVE ME  
> thank you for reading i love you guys so much

Two days later, Nico found himself at Jason’s house. He had spent the day before with Hazel, catching up and reactivating their old bond, and ended up going to the movie theater with Will. It was spontaneous and fun and boyfriend-y, and Nico kept replaying the goodnight kiss in his head.

Nico shook his head, knocking on Jason’s door firmly. He had it so bad.

Jason had invited him over to  _ talk _ ー whatever the hell that meant. Nico had been expecting a quick visit, but his hopes were squashed moments later.

The door swung open, and Nico was surprised to see Frank.

“Uh, hi,” Frank said awkwardly, stepping to the side of the entrance. They had never been especially close, and Nico predicted they never would be. Nico wasn’t quite sure how to greet him, so he settled for a nod, sidling inside awkwardly. A hearty greeting from a collection of voices met him, and his brow pulled together.

Almost all his friends were in the living room, playing games or chatting. Hazel and Piper were caught in a round of speed. Leo, Thalia, Reyna and Rachel were playing Mario Kart, and Rachel was creaming all of them. Annabeth and Percy weren’t there and Calypso hadn’t hung out with them for weeks. Sources told him that her relationship with Leo was permanently finished, for a plethora of reasons. Will wasn’t there, and Nico tried to ignore the unreasonable disappointed feeling that accompanied the realization.

Jason came jogging over, running a hand through his hair. “Before you get angry about the social gathering,” he said hastily. “They’ll be leaving soon.”

Nico narrowed his eyes, smiling briefly as Hazel waved at him mid-round before going back to glaring at Jason. “Are they, now?”

“Well.” Jason gave his half smile. “We’re kind of going with them.”

“And where the hell are we going?”

Jason opened his mouth, but Thalia called back over her shoulder. “Shopping!” 

Nico crossed his arms. “If you think I’m gonna-”

“Relax,” Reyna shouted. Nico didn’t know his conversation with Jason was now public, but that’s how it usually worked out. It seems his friends had no knowledge of the definition of privacy. “It’s for the Halloween school dance.” 

Nico scoffed. “What dance?”

Jason frowned. “You don’t-”

Leo interrupted him with a hoot. “Do you live under a rock or something?”

Nico whirled. “Shut up, Valdez.”

A smirk formed on the boy’s face, but Jason cut back in. “It’ll be a short trip to the mall.”

Nico adjusted his footing. “I have an appointment later to this damn cast off. I can’t go.”

Jason shrugged. “I’ll make sure you’re not late.”

“Well, I have-”

“No more excuses. Will’s gonna ask you to the dance, and you’re going to have a costume.”

Nico flushed, fishing for as many excuses as he could find. Anything to get him out of shopping. “He might not even ask me.”

Piper suddenly popped up beside him. “You’re his boyfriend.”

“So?”  _ Boyfriend.  _ Nico’s insides got all jittery.  _ That’s a good word. _

“ _ So _ he’s going to ask you. And you’ll need to be prepared.” Piper smirked knowingly. “We’ll find you something super sexy, we promise.”

“He won’t be able to keep his hands off of you,” Thalia commented, letting out a curse as Rachel finally won the Mario Kart round. 

Nico quickly shifted topics, his face burning regardless. “Since when are you two talking again?” 

Jason and Piper exchanged a look before she grinned. “Since  _ someone _ finally admitted he had the hots for-”

Jason slapped a hand over her mouth, something akin to fear in his eyes. “Not a word.”

Leo suddenly stepped in beside them, grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, come on, let the woman speak.”

Jason huffed, hesitantly lowering his hand. “We should get going.”

Hazel bounced over with her boyfriend, their arms linked. “I’m going with Frank. We have room for two more.”

Thalia perked up from her seat on the couch. “I call shotgun!” Reyna rolled her eyes and walked out with them.

Piper grabbed her keys from off the counter. “Come on, Leo. Let’s go.”

“Why can’t I go with- Hey! Ow!” Piper dragged him out by the collar, and then Nico and Jason were left alone.

“Nico,” Jason said hesitantly. 

“Jason,” Nico said mockingly. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me there was going to be a zoo at your house?”

“Would you have come?”

Nico pursed his lips. “Fair point.”

Jason sighed. “Look, before we leave, I… I have something to tell you.”

“Oh, so you really  _ do _ want to talk.”

“This is serious.”

Nico raised his eyebrows. “Okay.”

Jason took a deep breath, and Nico swore he started to turn purple before he finally spat out the words. “I’m a little bit gay.”

Nico stared at him for a moment before snorting. “Well, no shit. Did you really think I thought you were straight?”

“ _ I _ thought I was straight.”

“Well, you’re pretty fucking dense, then.” Nico sat down at the kitchen table. “So who turned you? If we're being technical.”

“I… Well…” Jason looked away, blowing out a breath. “This is hard.”

Nico scanned his face for a moment. “I already know, so you might as well tell me.”

Jason paled. “You  _ know _ ?”

“I mean, I’ve got a pretty solid guess. And I could strategically explain my thought process, or you could gay up and just say it.”

Jason gave him a look that was almost guilty. “Is it really that obvious?”

“Really? Valdez?” Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of all people to be gay for?”

Jason groaned. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Thalia already reprimanded me for, and bashed my, and I quote, ‘inferior taste in the most fucking stupid person on the planet who puts the male species to shame’. She's not exactly thrilled in my particular choice.”

“That sounds about right.” Nico studied him for a moment. “What about Piper?”

“We were good friends. Great friends, even.” Jason sighed. “We thought… well, we thought it could work. That we could try to build something off of our friendship.”

Nico’s eyebrows pulled together. “But in your conversation a few weeks ago, she said  _ love _ .”

“I didn’t.”

Nico nodded slowly. “How’s she doing with all of this?”

Jason’s lips twisted. “Supportive as ever. I always thought I found enough reasons to have feelings for Piper. But I just ended up hurting her.” 

“You thought if you acted straight you’d be less gay,” Nico supplied.

“Yeah,” Jason admitted, “and it wasn’t fair to her.”

“Damn right it wasn’t.” Nico shrugged. “At least you were honest with her.”

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… Not exactly.”

Nico snickered. “I have to hear this.”

“She had to tell me, Nico.” Jason buried his face in his hands. “She had to  _ tell me _ I was in love with him.”

Nico burst out laughing. “Oh my God.”

“I know it’s pathetic,” Jason muttered. “Don’t you dare rub it in.”

“This is fucking hilarious,” Nico got out, a wide grin breaking out across his face. 

“Only you would laugh at my pain,” Jason muttered. “I don’t even know what… what I  _ am _ I just… he’s just… I just want  _ him _ .” He looked away, quite obviously embarrassed by his proclamation.

Nico gave a mocking grin, his laughter subsiding. “So have you kissed him yet?”

“Oh, shut up.” Jason sighed. “And besides, he’s probably str-”

“I have very few straight friends and Leo is not one of them.”

“Are you calling Leo your friend?”

“Don’t change the subject!”

Jason sighed. “What do I  _ do _ ?”

“How should I know?”

He gave Nico a look. “You have a boyfriend.”

Nico flushed. “It’s not like that. We didn’t… there wasn’t…” He placed his hands on his hips. “You have to figure this out yourself, Grace.”

“Well, there you go.” Jason gave a weak smile. “This was me sort-of coming out to you.”

Nico grinned, standing up and walking towards the garage door. “And this was me sort-of laughing my ass off.”

* * *

“So Jason’s gayer than he’s claimed to be,” Nico said casually. 

“Trust me, you missed the existential crisis part of his feelings,” Thalia said with a smirk. “He was crying like a baby for the first week after he realized.”

He was with Thalia in the decked-out Halloween section of the mall, sifting through racks of costumes. Piper, Reyna, and Jason were over by the fitting rooms, trying on as many costumes as they could. Reyna claimed she was going for a badass warrior type character, and Piper was set on being Peter Pan. They were likely forcing Jason to try on everything in the store, just to make sure he had options. They were a strange trio, with Reyna being Jason’s ex and Piper being his  _ other _ ex, but Nico wasn’t one to try and sort that out.

Hazel and Frank dragged Leo along to get food. They would be back with everyone’s orders soon enough. Thalia was sifting through the men’s costumes with Nico, more concerned with finding him something than a costume for herself. He had already declined five options ー sure, the cowboy hat was cool and all, but it wasn’t the right vibe ー and they had yet to find more viable choices. 

Nico snorted, passing over a Batman costume quickly.  _ Absolutely not _ . “I can’t believe he’s gay for Leo.”

“I can’t believe it, either. My brother, in love with  _ Valdez _ .” She paused for a moment, considering a particular costume before thinking better of it. “When’s the last time you dressed up for Halloween?”

Nico was sufficiently unprepared for the change of topic. “Uh, three years ago, maybe?” 

Thalia gave him a once over. “You need something sexy, but subtle.”

“What?”

“Something that Will would want to tear off you, but in a hot way. You know, you go to the dance, move a little, groove a little, and the next thing you know, you’re in the corner of the room suc-”

“Shut the fuck up.” 

“Trust me.” Thalia gave him a look. “You and Will are together. There is nothing holding you back anymore.”

Nico choked on air. “That… that is  _ none _ of your concern.” 

Thalia tossed him a look. “It is everyone’s concern. Your sexual tension affects all of us.”

Outrage passed over Nico’s face. “What?!”

“Oh my  _ God _ , Nico.” Thalia turned away from the costume rack. “Yesterday your shirt rode up  _ one time  _ at lunch and Will practically had a nose bleed. Did you notice? Because I did. Reyna did. Even  _ Percy  _ did. Will looked like he wanted to devour you.” Thalia snorted. “It was fucking hilarious.”

Nico scowled. “Stop talking.” 

“Not to mention you eye-fucking him whenever-”

“Thalia, I swear to God, I’ll kill you.”

“Don’t hurt the woman that’s gonna get you laid…” She trailed off, and a wistful expression formed on her face. Nico turned and caught sight of Reyna, who was walking over to them. She was clad in a Wonder Woman costume, which fit her badass warrior expectations pretty well.

“And you say I’ve got it bad,” Nico muttered, ignoring the half-hearted glare Thalia sent him.

“Hey,” Reyna greeted. “I think I found you a costume, Nico.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “What  _ kind _ of costume?”

* * *

“No.”

Thalia snickered. “Why not? You look great.”

“I’m not wearing this.”

Reyna laid back against the couch by the dressing room. “Don’t fight the tux, Nico.”

“Will’s going to be drooling over you,” Thalia added.

Nico sneered to cover his blush. “It’s too bright.”

“Oh, come on, red is the new black,” Thalia proclaimed.

Reyna sighed. “No, it’s not.” She gestured to Thalia’s all-black outfit to prove her point. 

Nico turned towards the mirror and groaned. He, Nico di Angelo, dressed up as the devil. How fitting.

“This is hilarious,” Thalia said, her grin never wavering. “And the horns really add to the effect, don’t you think?”

“I’m going to fucking murder you,” Nico warned, adjusting his tie.  _ I mean, it’s not the  _ worst _ thing ever... _

Thalia snorted. “Always so dramatic.”

Reyna rolled her eyes. “Just accept it, Nico. You’re dressing up. You’re going to the dance.”

Nico huffed. “If Will asks me, I’m saying no. No way I’m wearing this stupid costume.” Thalia snorted, muttering another bit about her dramatic gay friends. Nico rolled his eyes.  _ As if she’s one to talk. _

Reyna shook her head. “ _ When _ Will asks you, you’re saying yes, and you’re going to love going with him.”

Nico crossed his arms, turning back to look at his reflection speculatively. “How much is it, anyway?”

Thalia waved him off. “Jason’s paying. He’s got a million discounts saved up from when he worked here last year.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “There’s no way I’m getting out of this, is there?”

Both girls grinned, and Nico let out a helpless groan. Sometimes, he questioned why he hung out with them. 

* * *

Jason dropped him off at the doctor’s office after his forced shopping excursion, on time as promised, where he met up with Jules-Albert before going inside. Jason was obviously agitated ー he had received a phone call near the end of their time at the mall and was quiet ever sinceー but Nico didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong

After checking in, a nurse took him into the back, where a portrait of a doctor caught his attention. He had never noticed it before, and it made him stop in his tracks.

The picture was a man in his thirties or forties, with full blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His skin was smooth and tan, like he spent all of his free time at the beach. It only took him a second to think of Will. In twenty or so years, this would be exactly what Will would look like.

_ Stop it _ , Nico scolded himself.  _ Can’t you go five minutes without thinking about your boyfriend? _

_ No,  _ his other half answered simply.  _ No, I cannot. _

Before Nico stepped into the next segment of the hallway, his eyes dropped to the caption.  **Doctor Apollo Deity.** There was a description below, listing out a row of accomplishments, but Nico was too scatter-brained to notice. 

Nico only knew of one Apollo, and that was his boyfriend’s birth father. Will’s dad was a musician, right? Not a doctor. There's no way this could be-

“Mr. di Angelo?” His attention snapped back to the nurse. He mumbled an apology and trudged after her. 

_ I’ll just ask Will when I see him later _ , he told himself, _ I’m sure it’s not a big deal.  _ But some gut instinct told him that it was a bigger deal than he realized.

Doctor Paean, a man in his late fifties with a curly mustache and dull eyes, had his team take off Nico’s cast, putting him in a brace instead. Nico was extremely grateful to have some freedom, and was even more delighted to hear his ribs had fully healed. Doctor Paean said it was a miracle that both his hand and ribs recovered so quickly, especially considering Porphyrion’s physician capability, but Nico was just relieved to be cleared for gym activity. It had been a few weeks since he had gone ー physical activity would have just prolonged his already-short recovery ー and he was excited to go back. 

Especially now that he would be going with Will  _ as his boyfriend _ .

After he was given a list of hand exercises to strengthen his healing fingers, he was cleared to leave. They scheduled one more check-up date, hopefully his last, and Jules-Albert drove him over to Will’s.

Nico had a lot of things bubbling at the surface. First and foremost, his elation in getting to spend time with Will, because he was in a fucking  _ relationship.  _ He  also concluded that he wanted to ask Will to the dance.

Yes, he, Nico di Angelo, was going to ask his boyfriend, Will Solace, to the dance. Partly because he had a newfound desire to go (not that he would tell Thalia or any of his friends that), and partly because he was nervous Will wouldn’t ask him.  And yes, that part of him was very irrational.

He also reminded himself to ask Will about his dad, but that wasn’t the highest of priorities. He didn’t want to bother Will about a sensitive topic unnecessarily, but part of him felt like he needed to say something. 

For some reason or another, he needed to bring it up. He just didn't know why.

* * *

Jules-Albert swung him by Will’s house, and Nico thanked him quickly, hesitating before closing the car door. “Do you mind telling my father I’m at Jason’s?”

His chauffeur raised his eyebrows as if to reprimand him for lying, but he simply nodded. Nico smiled gratefully. Jules-Albert was a man of little words, but he always had his back, even when it dealt with lying to his boss. 

Because Nico wasn’t about to tell his father of his and Will’s relationship. He blew out a breath and walked up the steps to the Solace household. Yeah, that would not go well.

Nico rapped on the door, and was immediately greeted by a pair of bright blue eyes and his smiling boyfriend. “Hey.”

Before he could chicken out, Nico brushed past him, walking to the center of the room before turning to Will nervously. “Go to the dance with me.”  _ That wasn’t a question, dammit Nico. You would think thirty fucking minutes of rehearsal would actually prepare you.  _ “Uh, please?”

A huge grin broke out across Will’s face. “You’re asking me to the dance.”

Nico examined his fingernails, huffing. “Obviously.”

Will laughed, taking a step closer. “I was gonna ask you.”

“Too fucking bad,” Nico muttered. “I was first.”

Will’s eyes crinkled and he slung his arms around Nico’s waist, pulling him close. They were basically the same height, something Nico noted in satisfaction.

Will smirked. “Is this a competition?”

“I already won,” Nico said hotly. 

Will rolled his eyes. “My answer is yes, by the way. I would love to go with you.” His words made Nico fill with happiness.  _ Will wants to go with me _ , he thought wistfully.

His words, however, were bitter. “They took me  _ costume-shopping,  _ Will.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “Who took you, now?”

“The bitches we call our friends,” Nico grumbled. “And don’t even ask what my costume is. You’ll see on Halloween, apparently.”

Will smirked. “Well,  _ now _ , I’m excited.” He paused for a moment before coming to some sort of a conclusion. “I’m going to kiss you.”

Nico blinked. “What?”

Will placed a hand on the back of his neck, his lips ghosting over Nico’s. “You waltz in here acting all cute and expect me  _ not _ to kiss you?”

Nico’s mind went blank. “Um.”

Will chuckled, and brought him into a gentle kiss. Nico’s thoughts flew out the window, and he relaxed into Will’s hold, oblivious to the fact that they were in the middle of the living room, oblivious to the discomfort of his brace digging into his arm, oblivious to anything but  _ Will _ , because when Will kissed him, everything else disappeared. And _yes_ , as fucking cliché as it sounded, it was true.

Even after such a short time, Nico could easily adjust to Will’s movements. He knew when to breathe, and how to turn his head. The  _ where-the-hell-do-I-put-my-hands?  _ debate was still up in the air, but today Nico settled for resting them on Will’s arms, remembering yet again how fucking  _ ripped _ Will was.

But it was easier now. Natural even. Nico could fall into the sensation of Will’s lips moving against his, Will’s hand in his hair and on his waist, the way Will moved closer and closer, as if he wanted nothing more than to pull Nico close and hold onto him past the restraint of time.

To summarize, kissing Will was fucking  _ great _ .

And, oh yeah, to top it all off, apparently his mother was home.

“Thank goodness!” Naomi exclaimed, her tone teasing. “Something to keep Will from talking.” 

Nico immediately backed away. His lips were tingling and his entire body was flushed, and he couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes.  _ Shit. This is what I get for letting him kiss me in the living room. _

Will groaned. “ _ Mom _ .”

“No, no, carry on,” Naomi said with a laugh. She grabbed a water-bottle off the couch, twirling it idly in her hand. “Don’t mind me, just doing normal mom things.”

“This is so embarrassing,” Will complained, and Naomi sauntered back into the kitchen, shooting Nico a wink. “I wish she would yell at us or call us out but  _ no _ . She  _ encourages _ us to kiss in the open, and what parenting book told her to do that? The only time she was actually serious about this stuff was when she gave me ‘The Talk’ and-”

“What?” Nico gave him a confused look, his embarrassment somewhat fading.

“You know.  _ The Talk _ . The middle school nightmare.”

Nico blinked before nodding rapidly. “Oh, yes, right.” He started for the stairs, hoping Will didn’t see through his words. “Let’s go to your-”

Will caught his hand, pulling him back. “You’ve never had The Talk before?”

Nico scowled. “I know what sex is, Will. I’m not stupid.” 

“I didn’t say you were.” Will studied his face cautiously. “Did Hades not… talk to you about…”

Nico snorted. “No. He only ever speaks to give me information, gather information, or bash my life decisions. None of that is exactly sex-relaated.”

Will nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Nico let out a breath. Thank God  _ that _ conversation was over.

“Well, my mom can talk to you,” Will suggested suddenly, and no, no, the conversation was  _ not _ over.

Nico’s face started burning. “No.” 

Will shook his head. “Seriously. You need someone who you can talk to.”

“No,” Nico said again, starting up the stairs. This time Will followed him, taking his hand from behind as they ascended. Nico tried not to swoon at the gesture.

“Why not?”

“I’m not talking about sex with my boyfriend’s mom,” Nico said pointedly, walking into Will’s cheery room without a second thought. “Plus, I don’t have any questions.”  _ Well, not any questions I would feel comfortable asking. Definitely not to your mom. _

“I know you  _ say _ you don’t have questions, but I know you would probably like clarity on some things.”  _ Damn. He’s a mind-reader. _ “Especially now that we’re dating-” Will turned bright red. “Uh, I’m not saying- I’m not- Uh. Shit. I didn’t mean- Well, I wasn’t implying- It’s just you and I-”

Nico snorted. “Relax, Will.” Not that Nico was relaxed. Because the prospect of  _ sex _ and  _ Will _ belonging together in the same sentence was… well, it was…

It was overwhelming. Let’s leave it at that.

“Promise me you’ll talk to her? It doesn’t have to be today, just…” Will sent him a dorky smile. “Just talk to her at some point, okay? Even though you can’t talk to your parent doesn’t mean you can’t talk to mine.”

Nico nodded. “Okay.”  _ If it really matters that much to you.  _ He sat down on Will’s bed, his eyes scanning the room. Will’s collection of vinyls and CD’s never failed to amaze him, and his eyes landed on a half-hidden guitar in the corner of the room. He had noticed it the last time he was here, but didn’t think much of it until now.

“You love music.”

Will’s reaction was delayed, and there was a slight edge to it that Nico hadn’t anticipated. “Yes. I do.”

“Your mother is a musician,” Nico stated.

Another brief pause. “Yes.”

“And your dad.”

Will got quiet. 

Nico looked over at his boyfriend, who was still lingering by the edge of the bed. “Was he a doctor, too?”

Will drew back, his face hardening. “No.”

The same instinct came back from earlier. Nico needed to push this topic. He had to keep asking questions, even though Will was upset. Almost angry.

Nico took a breath. “At the doctor’s office, I saw a picture of him, I'm pretty sure. It said he was a-”

“Stop.” Will clenched a fists, but his fiery gaze was directed at the guitar, not Nico. “He’s a musician. He’s not a doctor.”

Nico followed Will’s line of sight. “Who’s guitar is that?”

Will scowled, and the expression looked foreign on his face. “It’s mine.”

Nico bit his lip. Is this too much? Should he try and figure out more? He  _ knew _ Will was holding back.  Was he supposed to give him space?

_ Screw that. Clearly this is bothering him. Clearly I’ve been missing something. Isn’t this how the boyfriend thing works? You follow your instincts and see where it leads.  _

_ Right? _

“You play guitar?” Nico asked the question slowly, testing the words on his tongue.

“Played.” Will sat down hard next to him. “I was no good.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. A little while ago, at Nico’s house, Will had attempted to play a song on piano. He had claimed his failure was simply because he was musically incapable, but that couldn’t possibly be true. Will listened to music 24/7. He grew up in a household filled with musical elements. And he wasn’t incapable unless he chose to be. 

_ I’m such an idiot.  _

Nico had been too wrapped up in his own problems to even see Will tense when he was asked to play piano all those days ago. He hadn’t seen the pain in his eyes, or the fakeness of his smile.  _ You were caught up in yourself, _ Nico thought angrily.  _ He’s your boyfriend. Stop being so self-absorbed. Figure out what’s wrong. _

“You don’t fail anything,” Nico said slowly. “Not unless you're trying to. Even about the school project. You took it seriously to the point where we turned it in early.  _ You don’t fail unless you’re trying to fail _ .” Will breathed hard through his nose, and Nico knew he hit a nerve.

“Will, I…” He hesitantly scooted closer. This was unknown territory, but he was heading into it, no matter how unsurely. “I know this has to do with your father. As soon as I mentioned possibly seeing him in a doctor portrait, you-”

“I don’t want to be who my father was!” Will exploded, standing up abruptly. 

Nico scooted back in surprise. That was  _ not _ what he had been expecting.

“He was a fucking  _ musician _ , Nico,” Will got out, tears forming in his eyes. “He played guitar and sang and let music run his life. He played ‘Something’ by the Beatles to woo my mom and ended up getting her pregnant. And then he left her. He left  _ me _ .” Will’s voice broke. “I played that fucking guitar every day for years.  _ Years _ . My mom taught me piano and I was  _ great _ . I took voice lessons until I was thirteen. But then- then I-”

Will sat back down, pressing his hands into his eyes. “Then she told me. She told me about him. About how much he loved the same things I loved. About how he  _ left her _ . And I… I couldn’t play that guitar without feeling like I’m following in his footsteps. Touching the piano at your house was-” He took a shuddery breath. “At first, I was so excited. I thought I was over it. But the moment my fingers touched the keys, I just  _ couldn’t _ . Because… Because I…”

Will sniffed, staring at the floor. “He can’t be a doctor, too, Nico. I already gave up music. I already lost that. If he’s a doctor, I- That’s my future. That’s the plan for my life. I can’t follow him. I can’t do what he’s done. Not anymore than I already have.”

Nico looked away, unsure how to proceed. “I didn’t know.”  _ Here I was, so concerned about my own baggage that I didn’t realize he had plenty for himself. _

Will buried his face in his hands. “I don’t want to be like my dad, Nico. He left my mom. He left Kayla’s mom. And Austin’s mom.” His voice got incredibly small. “He left me.”

“You’re not like him, Will.”

Will looked at him warily, a sort of hesitance in his eyes.

“You’re not,” Nico said more surely. He inched closer again, hesitantly linking their fingers. Was this what he was supposed to do? Was this comforting?  _ God, I have no clue what I’m doing. _

“Giving up something you love is stupid,” Nico said, with a little more bite.  _ Shit, say something else _ . “I mean- not playing guitar is like letting him win. Letting him take a part of you. And you shouldn’t give him that. You don’t owe him shit. Look, if I were a girl-” Will wrinkled his nose despite the seriousness of their conversation. “-and I got super pregnant, you wouldn’t bail.” 

Nico sighed. “So I don’t give a fuck whether both you and your father are musical and all doctor-y and blonde supermodels. I don’t  _ care _ about those similarities.” He hurriedly continued.  _ Think before you speak di Angelo _ . “I care about the fact that you would stay. You wouldn't abandon me. You wouldn’t abandon anyone. Because that’s part of you, Will Solace. So when you play that fucking guitar, ‘cause there’s no well in hell I’m going to let you neglect it, you prove yourself that you can play the same songs he does and be a better person that he is. Because you are better. So much better.”

Will sniffled again, rubbing his eyes furiously. “Dammit, Nico,” he got out, dropping his head on Nico’s shoulder. Nico hesitantly embraced him, threading his fingers into Will’s hair. He could feel his boyfriend shaking, just shaking, and a lump formed in his throat. Never in a million years would Nico have thought this conversation would happen, yet here he was. There was more to Will than even he had known, and instead of it scaring him, it only made him want to learn more.

“How about I make you a deal?” 

Will pressed nose to Nico’s neck. “What kind of deal?”

“I’ll sing  _ La Cura _ to you,” Nico said quickly, his ears burning. “I’m not- I know- I- I’m going to sing you the song I learned with my mother and sister. All of it. And in return, you’re going to pick up that guitar, as  _ Will Solace _ , and play me a song. Play me a song.” Nico looked at him uncertainly. “Okay?”

The look Will gave him was both tender and hesitant. “Okay.”

Nico nodded. “Okay. Go.”

Will blinked. “Right now?”

Nico flushed, and he bit his lip. “Sorry. Am I- I hate being pushed, but that’s exactly what I’m doing to you-”

He felt Will’s lips press against his cheek, leaving a tiny spot of warmth when they left. “You’re offering a part of yourself to me. And I know it isn’t easy for you, Nico. So I’ll do the same. Right now.” He gave a dorky smile, and Nico smiled back.

Will walked over and grabbed the guitar, staring at it for a few moments before sitting down at his desk. His fingers brushed over the strings and twisted the knobs, going back to old habits, Nico guessed. Simple tuning, fixing of the pitch. 

And he looked like he had done it a million times. Like it was something he was supposed to do.

“Can you close your eyes?”

Nico stared at him for a moment in shock, but closed his eyes regardless.  _ Will’s nervous? _

And when the first chords came off the guitar and Will’s voice lifted, he sounded completely different than Nico had expected.

It was strange. Usually Will was belting the lyrics to ABBA on full blast, but to hear his voice so stripped down, so bare, so raw… 

_ The son of two musicians _ . Now,  _ this  _ scene  made more sense. Why had Nico ever believed Will couldn’t legitimately sing when he was goofing off? Why had he believed WIll couldn’t play piano to save his life? That was Will  _ trying  _ to fail, trying not to be like his father.

And in the process, he became a little less Will.

How he sang in the car was his way of hiding the pain, of pretending like it wasn’t important to him, like it was something trivial. But right now? 

Right now, _this_ was Will. This was Will singing. Really, truly singing…

Nico peeked his eyes open, warming at the sight in front of him. Will was concentrated, trying to remember the right fingering, brushing off the layers and years of dust, but he knew what he was doing. He knew every word and every chord like it was a part of him.

Because it  _ was _ a part of him. Sure, maybe it was part of his father, too, but it was a part of  _ Will _ . Who cared whether Apollo played guitar? Because Nico sure as hell didn’t.

The song was short, and Nico was more absorbed in Will than the actual lyrics, but Will’s gaze found his immediately after. “I thought I told you to close your eyes.” His voice was still, and his cheeks red.

“That was beautiful,” Nico whispered.

“That’s why it’s hard,” Will said in response. “Because… Because it’s a beautiful thing. It’s hard to let beautiful things go, and it's even harder to reclaim them.” 

Nico gave him a soft smile. “I know what you mean.” 

Will propped the guitar back up against the wall. “I wrote it.”

“What?”

“I, uh.” He cleared his throat, not meeting his eyes again. Nico found himself blessed to see this side of Will ー the nervous, uncertain parts of him. “I wrote that song. Before. When I played.”

Nico slipped off the bed and stepped over to take his hand, looking down at Will from where he sat in the chair. “It was wonderful.”

Will nodded shakily, glancing up at him. “Nico, I…” He ran a thumb over Nico’s knuckles. “Thank you.”

Nico flushed. “I didn’t do anything.”

Will stood immediately. “You did everything. I haven’t… I haven’t ever told anyone this before. But you… It’s so easy with you.”

Nico blinked, unsure of what to say. 

Will moved his hand to cup Nico’s face. “ _ Thank you _ .” He surged forward and pressed his lips against Nico’s, and they melted against each other.

It was not unlike the other times they had kissed, but at the same time, it was so much more.

Nico had always been the one with secrets. Nico had always been the one with walls up. Opening up to Will was proving to be difficult, yet manageable. More manageable than he had expected.

But he had never thought Will would struggle with the same thing. He had never thought Will was just as layered as he was. It made him want to know Will more. It made Nico want to step up and do the things a boyfriend was supposed to do.

It made Nico want to open wide, just so Will would open wider in return.

And yes, it was easier said than done, but it was a start.

_ La Cura, _ Nico thought to himself as Will pulled him into a tight hug.  _ I promised him La Cura. _

He would sing  _ La Cura. _ Even if Will had no clue what he was saying, Nico would sing to him. Because he was trying to open wide, in the ways he knew how.

And that was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked it! i contemplated making Will want to know his father at first, but i decided i didn't want to make Apollo a legitimate character lol  
> So Will instead has life struggles, but it's okay, he has Nico! :D  
> BTW, if you ever catch any inconsistencies, PLEASE tell me. I know the first two chapters are very different in terms of me trying to figure out how I wanted the flow to be, but if there are any direct storyline contradictions you notice, please tell me!  
> Thanks for reading! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!


	12. Sundays are Boyfriend Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico goes over to Will's house on a Sunday. That's it. A sneak peak into their lives when they don't have school, problems, or Hades to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so the dance is NOT this chapter its not this chapter but enjoy the boys being gay together and super adorable

Nico couldn’t wipe the grin off of his face. Will was such an  _ idiot _ .

He didn’t like snapchat. He didn’t use snapchat. But when  _ Will _ was the one snapchatting him… 

Will’s latest snap made Nico smile. He was wearing an apron and holding a spatula with a confused look on his face, perfectly representing the caption: **cooking is hard**

Nico snorted, lying back on his bed.  **i could teach you**

The next picture made a bright blush set on Nico’s cheeks. Will was smiling tenderly at the camera, resting his face on a hand.  **does that mean i get to kiss the cook?**

**you’re such a dork**

**but I’m** **_your_ ** **dork.**

Nico jumped as a Facetime call popped up on his phone and a nervousness run through him. This is what boyfriends did, right?  _ Stop overthinking. Just answer the fucking call. _

Nico hesitantly accepted the request, and Will’s face popped onto the screen. 

“Hey,” Will said with a grin. His apron was decorated with small flowers, and it was honestly just so  _ fitting _ .

“Er, hi.” Nico ran a hand through his unruly hair.

“You wanna hang out today?”

Nico blushed.  _ Hanging out  _ meant  _ hanging out with my boyfriend _ , and the realization made him tingle all over. God, would this… this  _ exhilaration _ ever end?

“I’ll have to wait until my dad leaves for his business trip. He should be gone by noon.”

Will studied his face carefully through the screen. “When are you going to tell him?”

Nico sighed. “I don’t know.”

Will nodded before grinning again. “Didn’t realize you could cook, di Angelo.”

Nico rolled his eyes back. “ _ Mamma _ and I used to spend time cooking in the kitchen all the time.”

“I should have known. Italians are practically cooking gods.”

“Don’t be so stereotypical, Solace. My sister couldn’t cook to save her life. She couldn’t even make spaghetti sauce without making us gag.”

Will laughed. “Well, that’s something I have in common with her, then.”

Nico glanced past Will’s figure where he could see a lopsided omelette slowly burning to a crisp. “ _ Clearly _ .”

Will shrieked and set his phone down, muttering obscene profanities that made Nico laugh out loud. 

After a few minutes, Will’s face came back into view. He wore a grand pout on his face. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

Nico smirked. “This is why you need me.”

Will rested his chin on his hand. “So you’re telling me I have this smoking hot, super cute, generous, witty as all fuck boyfriend who can also  _ cook _ ?” He sighed dramatically. “My life is perfect.”

“Oh, shut up,” Nico mumbled.

Will laughed. “So I’ll come to your house later?”

And because Nico was Nico, the prospect of being alone with Will in his big, big house made his hairs stand on end. That brought way too many scenarios to his head that Nico wasn’t quite ready to face.

“Uh, no thank you.”  _ Way to sound natural, Nico.  _

Even through Facetime, Nico could tell Will was struggling to maintain a straight face. “Okay. My house it is, then.”

Nico glared at him. “Stop making fun of me.”

Will’s eyes danced. “I didn’t say a word.” 

Nico huffed. “You didn’t need to.”

Will laughed, blowing him a kiss. “See you later,  _ babe _ .”

_ There’s no way in hell he’s calling me pet names _ , Nico vowed as he hung up, but the funny feeling in his chest told him otherwise.

* * *

“Cooking is an art,” Nico said, entering Will’s house with a stern tone. Will immediately toddled after him, eyebrows raised in interest.

“There are many important factors to being a good cook, and the first one is managing time. Any good meal has multiple parts to it, even something simple. You have to be able to balance the different aspects of whatever you’re cooking in the most time efficient manner possible.”

Yes, Nico di Angelo, usually unsure and awkward and flustered, was calling the shots today. Something about cooking  _ with  _ his boyfriend, even if Will had no clue what he was doing, made him not want to do anything else.

Will looked at him with what Nico thought was awe. “Is there anything else you are good at that I should know about?” Despite their strong friendship, there was still so much they didn’t know about each other, mostly because of Nico’s newfound openness and their recent development as a couple. Nico was determined to share more about himself, even the little things that seemed unimportant.

Nico pondered the question for a moment. “I’m good at chess. Now as I was saying-”

“Didn’t you win the seventh and eighth grade district chess championships?

Nico blinked. “What?”

Will flushed. “Um.”

“We weren’t good friends until ninth grade, Will. Sure, we hung out in groups a few times in elementary, but how could you have possibly known that?” Nico crossed his arms. “I didn’t exactly broadcast my ‘mad chess skills’.”

“Er, lucky guess?”

Nico raised his eyebrows. “Lucky guess?”

“Uh, cooking.” A slightly panicked look appeared on Will’s face. “We were talking about cooking.”

A burst of laughter bubbled out of Nico’s chest. “Oh my  _ God.  _ You- Did you have a crush on me in middle school?”

Will turned impossibly redder. “What? No-”

“Oh, he definitely did,” a teasing voice announced, and Naomi waltzed into the kitchen. “He even wrote love letters. Dozens of them. Still have them in a box somewhere if you want to take a look.”

A betrayed expression crossed over Will’s face, and it only made Nico laugh harder.  “You act as if I’ve uncovered your darkest secret,” Nico got out. “You’re literally my boyfriend.” 

_You're literally my boyfriend._ That realization never failed to make him giddy.

Will huffed. “I was going to take it to my grave.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “You’re ridiculous.” He said the words with such a fondness that it was far from believable.

In truth, Nico had forgotten Naomi was there, because it took her speaking to snap him out of his Will-oriented daze. “What are you making?”

“Mamma’s Italian Roulade,” Nico said. “Old family recipe.”

Will shrugged helplessly. “I don’t even know what that is.”

“You will once I’m finished with you,” Nico said smugly.

“You know, considering how much you ate before I forced you into healthier habits, I never would have pegged you for a foodie.”

Will’s teasing tone made Nico roll his eyes. “I have good taste, what can I say?” 

“In food  _ and _ in men,” Will said, earning a snort from his boyfriend.

Nico presented the recipe on his phone to Naomi. “I assume you have everything except for the steak.”

“You assume correctly,” she said. “You don’t mind running to the store, do you, Will? You can even take the Tesla.”

Nico gave Will a look. “Translation: you’re being kicked out.” He also recognized that this was Naomi’s way of saying  _ I’m going to talk to your boyfriend _ , which was more terrifying than he would have liked to admit.

Will guffawed, grabbing his mom’s keys off the counter. “I am leaving of my own free will, thank you very much. And  _ yes _ , I will gladly take the Tesla.” He kissed Nico on the cheek swiftly. “When I get the wrong steak, do not blame me.”

Nico laughed. “Get a two pounder, okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Will gave a small wave, and a fond smile lingered on Nico’s face even moments after he left.

“Watching you two makes me very happy.”

Nico glanced up, giving an awkward smile. 

Naomi walked around the counter, peering at the recipe. “He struggled somewhat. Went through a rough patch behind the scenes. He’s always been a happy boy, even when he’s sad.” Her eyes crinkled. “But he’s been happy even behind the scenes the more he’s been with you.”

“I… He’s made me happier than I’ve been in a long time.” The words came out before he could think about them, but he didn’t stop talking. “And healthier. And just…” Nico twisted the pepper shaker twice in his hand. “He’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met, Ms. Solace.”

“Naomi,” she corrected immediately. “And yes, I like to think I raised a rather well-mannered son.” 

Nico smiled.  _ Yes. Yes, you have. _

“My son told me you’ve never been talked about sex with your father.”

Nico turned red. “What?!”  _ Goddammit, Will. Can’t you keep your damn mouth shut for five seconds? _

Naomi laughed. “He also said I shouldn’t be the one to bring it up. But yet here I am, bringing it up.”

Nico set the pot on the stove, unable to meet her eyes. “I suppose you are going to give me The Talk, then?”

She gave a soft laugh, coming around the island by where he was standing. She glanced at the recipe list he had pulled up and walked over to the pantry, starting to gather ingredients. “You aren’t an uneducated middle schooler, Nico. If you were, I’d be very concerned about my son’s life decisions.” Nico laughed despite himself, appreciating her ability to bring humor into the awkward conversation. 

“But,” she continued, sliding the Italian seasoning to the collecting pile of spices, “I know you are bound to have questions.”

Nico chewed his lip thoughtfully, sifting through her refrigerator and quickly grabbing a few eggs. Her entire kitchen was organized and easy to navigate, and for that, he was grateful.

“I have a few things I want to know,” Nico admitted.

Naomi laughed. “Well, then what are you waiting for? Ask away!”

“Uh, it won’t make you uncomfortable?”

“You already seem uncomfortable enough for the both of us,” she pointed out. “And no. Trust me, anything you ask, I have heard before. I took classes on interpersonal communication and sex educaton during my college years, so I am a little more knowledgable on the topic than you might think.” She paused, giving him a knowing smile. “There’s a reason my son told you to come talk to me.”

Nico raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t know you went to college,” he said truthfully. His father had always made Naomi out to be unsuccessful and uneducated, and this only provided more context to prove him wrong.

“Changing the subject, are we?” She walked over to the oven to preheat it, talking all the while. “I took three years at a community college.” She gave a soft laugh. “Granted, it wasn’t easy, especially with giving birth to Will four months into first semester, but it was important for me to be educated, especially since once Apollo left, I was responsible for raising my son by myself. I wouldn’t want him to grow up in a household with a parent who couldn’t help him learn, now would I?”

Something about Will’s mother was extremely intriguing, and the more he learned about her, the more he liked her. He had never believed his father’s interpretation of her character, but hearing about her life made his level of respect for her skyrocket.

He thought back to the first day of school, when Will had been so quick to call his mother the most important person in his life. Nico hadn’t been as well acquainted with Naomi at the time, but now that he knew her better, however slightly, he understood why she was so important to his boyfriend.

Nico asked another question before he could stop himself. “Why did you take those classes?” 

“I had just come out of a relationship that did not end well and left me as a single parents,” she said simply. “I wanted to learn more about relationships and intimacy to teach my son the better courses to take in life.” A wry smile touched her lips. “And now, it seems, to teach his boyfriend as well.”

“So… I can ask you anything?”

“Anything,” she confirmed, leaning against the countertop.

Nico took a deep breath.  _ Just say it _ , he scolded himself.  _ You’re not being cowardly anymore, remember?  _

“God, this is going to sound weird.”

Naomi laughed softly. “If it makes you feel any better, Will has likely asked the same questions.”

Nico wasn’t sure if that factor made him feel awkward or relaxed, but he couldn’t hold in the question any longer. “Where’s the line? The line between kissing and making out. The line between sex and  _ not  _ sex. I…” Nico looked away.

“Well, let me ask you this. Does there  _ need _ to be a line?”

Nico pursed his lips, not expecting to be asked questions. “I don’t know. Should there be?”

Naomi smiled. “That was a perfect answer. From my experience and education, there doesn’t need to be a line, per se, but whatever you’re doing needs to have consent from both you and your partner.” Nico appreciated how she omitted Will’s name from her explanation. It made the conversation considerably less nerve-racking.

Nico tapped his chin. “Don’t a lot of couples use… Well, don’t people use safe words?”

“Yes.” Naomi smiled brightly. “Safe words are more prominent in, well, experimental or kinkier sexual encounters-” How she said that with a straight face, Nico had no clue. “-but I find simply saying ‘no’ can be quite effective. It can be difficult to be so straightforward, but if both partners are able to firmly decline an action or suggestion, there will be an extremely higher level of intimacy.”

Nico nodded slowly. “I have another question.”

“Go for it.” 

“Well, do- You see-” Nico wrung his hands. “Okay, I have  _ a lot  _ of questions.”

Naomi matched him with the same patient look as before. “Like I said, go for it.”

Nico wasn’t used to being so open with people, but he didn’t let himself hold back any longer. He asked about how long sex lasted and what to do after the fact, to which her answers were rather vague. He also was curious about foreplay and all kinds of things, most of which were initially difficult to voice. He had never thought he’d have The Talk ー or a more mature variation of it, at least ー with anyone, so it was a major adjustment to voice any confusion or concerns in the first place. 

He had especially never thought he’d be talking to Will Solace’s mother about the whole ordeal, yet here he was,  _ talking to Will Solace’s mother about the whole ordeal. _

Most of his questions were met with follow up questions of her own, which helped redirect him to finding an answer. Everything he learned was centered around communication. He also was enlightened on how intimacy didn’t always entail sex or physical connection, which wasn’t something he had considered before. There were very few instances within the conversation where he felt overwhelmed ー Naomi did an excellent job leaving Will’s name out of the discussion altogether and she was very understanding with his less-educated thought process. Nico couldn’t help but wonder if talking with his own mother would have been like this, if she had lived long enough, but at the end of the day, he was just grateful for Naomi’s patience and willingness to talk with him.

It proved how wrong Hades was about her. Although she didn’t fit his father’s description of success, she was successful in her own right.

“I’m a woman,” Naomi said, once Nico had run out of things to ask, “so I can’t tell you anything more specific. For that, you would want to talk to another man.” She looked into space for a moment before nodding, going back to the pantry to grab the last of ingredients. Throughout the conversation they had collected everything they needed and were just waiting on Will to return with the steak. “Possibly Mr. Blofis or a trusted teacher.”

“Mrs. Solace-”

“Naomi.”

“I… I honestly don’t know Mr. Blofis all too well.” He fiddled with his fingers uncomfortably. “And I’m only talking to you because Will… uh, Will said I should. I mean no offense, but- I-” Nico stopped talking, letting out a breath.  _ Do I sound ungrateful? Way to go, di Angelo. _

“I’m not trying to be your mother,” Mrs. Solace said honestly ー how the  _ fuck _ did she know exactly what to say? ー and squeezed his shoulder quickly. “Maria was a lovely woman, and I am not attempting to replace her. But that being said, I’m still here for you.”

Nico opened his mouth and closed it again.  _ She’s here for me _ . That’s more than Nico could ask for. More than he expected. 

More than he had ever received.

“I…” Nico glanced over at her. “Thank you.” She smiled brightly, and Nico was reminded where Will got his sunny disposition. It wasn’t from his father, who appeared so similar in appearance, but it came from his mother, who was a light in every meaning of the word. 

“You’re welcome. Now, we best get started. He should be back any minute now.” They relaxed in a comfortable silence while they waited, making sure the bacon and spices were ready. Nico was glad Naomi did not pressure him into any greater conversation. As much as he had already opened up to her, he was nearly at his breaking point. 

Will returned relatively quickly, making his presence painfully obvious. “I have arrived with a glorious, perfect, two pound steak,” he announced, tossing the Tesla keys to his mother, who caught them with ease. He set the grocery bag down on the counter with a dramatic grunt.

Nico rolled his eyes. “Took you long enough.”

Naomi handed Will’s apron back to him. “Have fun. This boy of yours definitely knows how to cook. He said some terms  _ I _ don’t even know.”

Will groaned. “Fantastic.”

“It  _ is _ fantastic. This will taste much better than that sorry excuse for an omelette.”

Will protested, but Nico hushed him, beginning his instruction without further delay.

You know that cliche part of a movie where one person will teach the other person how to shoot an arrow by guiding them with loving hands and pressing their bodies together, working as one entity to accomplish a task?

That’s not how Nico taught Will.

Nico taught Will how his mother taught him, clicking his tongue and staring him down whenever he was doing something wrong, forcing him to make the corrections on his own. Will was confused most of the time, but whenever Nico gave him a task to do, he would have to do it, no exceptions. (Plus, Nico found it extremely endearing whenever Will’s face scrunched up in concentration, not that he would ever tell him that.)

Once they had seasoned the steak with the garlic spice mixture and cheese, they moved onto other layers, working with eggs and bacon and pasta sauce. It would have taken Nico twenty minutes to do by himself, but with Will fumbling with whisks and cutting the steak at odd places, it took nearly twice as long.

Not that Nico minded. He was cooking with his boyfriend, after all.

_ Oh my God. _

_ I’m cooking with my boyfriend. _

Once the Roulade was in the oven, Will practically cheered. “I can’t believe it’s finished! How long does it have to bake for?”

“About two hours,” Nico said nonchalantly from the sink, placing used dishes in the dishwasher.

“Two  _ hours _ ?” Will groaned. “But I’m hungry.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “It will be worth it. Now help clean up.”

“So demanding.”

“Oh, shut up.” Nico paused before closing the dishwasher. “So love letters, huh?”

Will huffed. “There’s no way I’m showing you them.”

Nico eyed him speculatively. “No way, huh?” Will blushed and Nico walked over, tilting his head to one side. “But I would really like to see them,  _ bellissimo _ .”

Where was his confidence coming from? He had no clue. But the thought of Will being flustered because of  _ him _ only made him more self-assured. He was going to see those letters. 

Will gulped. “Uh…”

“Is that a yes?”

“Dammit, Nico.” Will buried his face in his hands. “I’ll show you, but only because you made me food.”

* * *

Will grabbed a box from the garage and Nico followed him upstairs. He couldn’t help but look at Will’s arms, the definition obvious from the tank top he wore. And his  _ shoulders _ . Nothing could beat a man with broad shoulders. And the thought of those arms wrapped around him, those hands tracing is body-

_ No. Stop. Goddammit, Nico.  _

Why did Will always make him so scatter-brained? One minute he was reprimanding him for his terrible cooking skills, and the next he was practically drooling over him. 

Will set the box down next to his bed and pulled out a colorful piece of paper. It was dated back to their sixth grade year in first semester, and when he unfolded it, Nico snorted. It was short, but the handwriting fucking  _ sucked. _

“T his isn’t legible,” Nico announced, squinting at the paper.

Will sighed. “I know.”

Nico snorted. “Well, what does it say?"

Will blushed. “Um…”

“Oh, come on.” Nico laid down on Will’s bed. “You were, like, twelve.”

Will bit his lip before lying down next to him, holding up the paper. “You won’t laugh?”

Nico turned over on his side, his eyes twinkling. “No promises.”

Will rolled his eyes, making his voice high enough to make Nico snicker. “Hi, Nico. My name is William. But everyone calls me Will. I like your hair a lot. It is so cool. I wonder what it would look like if it grew out.” He glanced at Nico’s steadily growing messy locks before going back to reading, a blush on his cheeks. “I sit behind you in science and stare at your head a lot. You are super cool, too. We have hung out a few times, but never just together. Do you want to hang out with me? We could play games. Anyway, thank you for reading this letter. You are very nice to look at!”

Nico struggled to keep a straight face. “Nice to look at, hm?”

Will turned beat red. “Shut up.”

“This is hilarious."

Will groaned. “You realize I had no idea I liked you, right? I just thought thinking you were cute was a universal law.”

Nico grinned. “No shit. Although you literally said ‘I’m nice to look at’.” He put a hand on his heart. “That’s literally the gayest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“Stooop,” Will pleaded, rolling closer to him. “ _ I’m _ supposed to be the dramatic one.”

Their noses were nearly touching, and Nico’s heart started to pound in his chest. Will’s hand came to settle on his side, rubbing distracting circles onto his waist through his shirt. They were almost  _ cuddling _ , and Nico nearly lost his mind at the realization. He couldn’t tell if it made him happy or stressed.

Maybe both.  Happessed. Strappy. _ God, I can’t even think with him this close. _

“You’re so handsome,” Will murmured, pressing his lips to Nico’s chin.

Nico wrinkled his nose. “Oh, just read the letter, you sap.”

Will laughed lightly, glancing down at the paper. His face immediately burned bright red.

Nico squinted at the chicken scratch. “Does that say…” He paused to scan over the first sentences before bursting into laughter. “Oh my God. This is priceless.”

“Nico di Angelo,” Will said, maintaining his high-pitched voice to mimic his younger self. “I told my friends I think you’re cute, and they said I was gay. My english teacher told me that means happy, so I definitely am!” Will groaned, dropping his head onto Nico’s shoulder.

Nico’s lips curved into an adoring smile. “How long did it take you to figure out you were the  _ other _ kind of gay?”

“Probably by the next letter,” Will said sheepishly. “I mean, it didn’t seem weird, at the time, until I realized most of my other guy friends were attracted to, well, girls. And I was, uh, definitely not.”

“Really?” Nico raised his eyebrows, glancing pointedly at their legs, which had become tangled over the course of their conversation. “I had no idea.”

Will laughed again, and continued to read the letter.

Every sentence was so entirely  _ Will _ that it made Nico’s cheeks burn from his smile. They progressively went from oblivious to panicked to  _ I’m-into-Nico-di-Angelo _ before ending in mid-eighth grade, where younger Will promptly announced he was going to try to befriend him. Not on an acquaintance scale, but on a  _ friend _ -friend scale.

After the twenty-third and final “love letter”, if one could call it that, Will nestled into Nico's neck. “Well, there you go.”

“You had a crush on me,” Nico whispered teasingly. His boyfriend hummed contentedly, wrapping his arms around Nico. It was the closest they had ever been for an extended period of time, and Nico was  _ living  _ for it. Feeling their hearts beat back and forth, feeling Will’s nose against his neck ー everything made him so damn  _ happy _ .

“You were shorter, then. And so was your hair.”

“Yet you  _ still _ like me, huh?” 

“I dig Nico in any form. Tiny form, large form, angry form, sassy form, sentimental form, cheesy form, sexy form.” He paused as if reconsidering. “Who am I kidding?  _ All  _ of your forms are sexy.”

Nico felt heat rise to his cheeks. _God, why the fuck do I blush so much around him?_ “Uh… thanks?” 

Will placed a kiss to his neck. “You’re so adorable.”

“For the last time, I am not-”

“Yes, you are. My adorable, sexy boyfriend.”

“Those two words should not go together.”

“Yet they  _ do _ .” Will’s chuckle sent vibrations throughout Nico’s body, and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

Will slid down an inch to tuck his face into the crook of Nico’s neck. Nico could see the top of his curls, and was instantly intrigued. They had got to talking about Nico's hair during the middle of the twentieth letter. Though it was equally messy in middle school, he had always kept it short. Now it was starting to frame his face a little more, almost ponytail length, if he thought about it.

Will’s hair, on the other hand, was just so  _ curly _ . And gold. And beautiful. And dammit, he wanted to run his hands through it, just to see how it felt.

Was it a weird thing? To be over-analyzing his obsession with Will’s hair?

_ No _ , his brain corrected him,  _ it’s just a gay thing. A boyfriend thing. _

“Hey, um, Will?”

“Mhm?” Will said sleepily, and Nico considered the fact that he probably spent his Sundays napping, an escape from his stress with school and his other activities. 

“Can I touch your hair?”

Will pulled back a few inches to meet Nico’s eyes. “Nico. I’m your boyfriend. Of course you can.”

Nico blushed as Will snuggled back into him ー yes, his boyfriend,  _ snuggling _ with him ー and hesitantly carded his fingers through Will’s hair.  _ Holy fuck, what kind of product does this guy use? Why is it so  _ soft _?! _

“Thanks for asking, though,” Will murmured distractedly.

Nico smiled softly. “Yeah.”  _ Thanks for being so wonderful. _

* * *

An hour and a half later, Nico was already downstairs. The roulade was finished and he was making sure everything was in place. The fact that he had made food (he couldn’t decide whether it was lunch or dinner, so he settled with linner) at his boyfriend’s house had finally caught up to him, and he wasn’t sure how to feel. Were they moving too fast? Hadn’t only been together officially for what, less than a week? Was this too much too soon?

_ You’ve been friends for a few years,  _ Nico reminded himself, if only to ease his stress.  _ And you’ve been best friends for months. It’s not too fast. It’s fine. _

Nico glanced over at the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs, and blushed at the sight. Will’s hair was a mess and his face was still half asleep. He let out a big yawn, walking up behind Nico and wrapping his arms around his torso. 

Nico jumped. “Hi, there.”

“You made me food,” Will murmured sleepily. “You're the best.”

“You helped." _And by help, I mean assisted in the least helpful way possible_. "And it’s for your mom, not you. I like her better.”

He could practically hear Will’s pout. “That’s mean.”

Nico laughed. "It's _true_."

“You should come over  every Sunday.” 

“You see me throughout the week already,” Nico said pointedly. “You’re bound to get tired of me.”

“Nope. Now that you’re my boyfriend, I’m going to take advantage of it.” Will propped his chin on Nico’s shoulder. “Food?”

Nico snorted, handing him a plate. “Here.”

“Thank you!” Will hopped over to the kitchen table.

_ Thank you _ . Nico’s heart stuttered. It had been so long since he had cooked so thoroughly for himself, or for anyone, really, and Will’s gratitude was more than welcome. There were many reasons he was attracted to Will — both physically and otherwise — and his genuine kindness was one of those reasons. 

“Holy fuck,” Will said, and Nico walked over to sit across from him. “This is so good.”

Nico smirked. “I  _ told  _ you.”

“Like, oh my God.” Will let out an obscene pleased sound that made his boyfriend’s ears turn red. He chewed for a second before waving his fork at Nico. “So what’d you talk to my mom about? When she not-so-subtly kicked me out?”

Nico choked on the bite he was taking. And there goes any confidence he had salvaged.

Will snorted. “My mom isn’t one to threaten people, so there’s two options. Either she showed you all of my baby pictures, or you were given  _ The Talk _ .”

Nico glared to hide his discomfort. “What do you think?”

Will smirked. “Just making sure.”

“To make things clear,” Nico said, crossing his arms. “I’m not ready to have sex with you.”

Will grinned. “Neither am I. But can we do  _ other stuff ?” _

Nico’s face reddened. “Eat your roulade, Solace.”

“That sounds like a yes.” He put another forkful in his mouth, waggling his eyebrows at Nico.

Here he was, eating the food he made at his boyfriend’s house, contemplating over  _ other stuff _ after having the sex talk with his boyfriend’s mother. __

_Other stuff_. Nico shoved another forkful into his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is the *dance* and BOY OH BOY i'm excited


	13. Note from Author

Heys guys!

First off, IM SO SORRY ITS TAKING ME FOREVER TO UPDATE AHHHHHHH  
Seriously, thanks for being patient, I really appreciate it and I'm so sorry

Second off, sorry for tricking you into thinking this was a chapter because those of you who are subscribed probably are a little annoyed rn BUT i felt like this was necessary to keep in touch with you guys.  
I have finals the next few weeks, which is why I've been unable to write as much, but as the end of my stressful tests approaches, I will go back to regular updates.   
Trust me, I have plenty of ideas that I have yet to put down on paper.

Third off, I actually have a plot plan past high school. Just so you know, for my own plot convenience, Will and Nico and a lot of their friends are Juniors, while Percy and Annabeth and some others are Seniors, with the occasional Sophomore. I actually have a plot through the first year of college, and I am sure it will only get longer from there lol

Are you guys interested in this being a long work like that? I still have quiiiite a few chapters to go, especially considering they are not even halfway through their Junior year, but I am excited for this project and I promise (not a fake promise some fanfic writers make, a real one) that I will keep writing this work.

Anyway, let me know in a message or a comment what you think / your opinion, and if you have any suggestions or ideas, let me know!

Thank you for your patience, sorry for the chapter notification, apologies for the delay, and I can't wait to get back to this lovely Solangelo plot!!

Your friend,  
Kims


	14. Damien White: Bringer of Weed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They go to the dance, but it doesn't go quite as planned. Way to go, Damien White (whoever he is, anyway).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING  
> this is really just fluff this chapter BUT next chapter is REALLY significant plot wise so stay tuned  
> They will make out NEXT chapter, so sorry for those who were expecting *spiciness* this time. I had to split up this chapter into two because it was getting really long (:

Nico was nervous.

No, that didn’t quite cover it. He was  _ completely fucking terrified _ .

Several attempts to tame his unruly hair failed. His suit fit how it was supposed to, but every time Nico saw the brilliant red, he couldn’t help but scowl. And his  _ tie _ . 

Which was it supposed to go, again? Five different internet tutorials still had him frustrated, though he supposed that was mostly because of his anticipation for the dance.

Because dance. Dancing. Dancing with Will. 

Nico groaned, hitting his head against the wall twice.  _ The things I do for my boyfriend.  _

Speaking of which, there was a rhythmic knock on the front door, and Nico tripped over his untied laces in his haste.

With a string of curses, he smoothed his un-smoothable hair and swung the door open, his mind going blank.

Will was attractive. That was true on Wednesdays, and Fridays, in the mornings, at night. All the time. 24/7. A full time gig. 

But right now, he was being really fucking unfair.

It wasn’t Nico’s proudest moment, him gawking at his boyfriend with unabashed attraction, but could you blame him?

Will fucking Solace, clad in an all-white suit, his curly hair framing his face, a fucking stand-up halo on his head, and-

_ Shit _ .

With Hades out of town, they had spent every moment at Will’s, the gym, or Morgenstern’s ー he may or may not have been avoiding his own house for fear of having to play  _ La Cura _ ー but  _ nowhere _ in Will’s house had Nico found any makeup belonging to the boy.

So yeah, he wasn’t sure where Will had gotten that eyeliner from ー in retroscpect, he determined it was obviously from Naomi ー but it was fucking killing him. He couldn’t even think  _ gay _ around Will at this point.

Nico was going to kill someone, preferably one of the Grace siblings. He could handle being forced to go shopping, although he would have rather been anywhere else. He could handle being forced to wear a devil costume, despite how horribly bright the red coloring was. He could handle going to the school dance with his boyfriend, who he was growing impossibly more fond of as the days passed by.

But Will being dressed as an angel? Now _that_ was just crossing the line.

Nico suspected it was Jason’s doing, though Thalia was in question as well. He could imagine them driving over to Will’s house sometime between their shopping spree and the dance, chucking a white costume at him, and speeding off into the distance, cackling gleefully. Well, Thalia would be cackling. Jason would be smiling to himself, the little bastard.

And that wasn't even the worst part, the thought of the Grace siblings plotting. Oh, no. The worst part was that Will was in a suit, and Nico could not get enough.

Will waltzed through the doorway wearing a sunny grin that fit his angel demeanor all-too-well. “Hey, there.”

Nico choked on air, not sure whether to be seduced or exasperated. “Hi?”

Will bit his lip, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Do you need help with that?”

“Uh…” It took Nico a second to realize he was talking about his red tie, still dangling precariously around his neck. “Uh, yeah.”

Will grinned. “Come on, then.” He took Nico’s hand and tugged him toward the full-length mirror by the bathroom.

The steps to tying a tie were in essence not hard to follow, but when Will showed him so carefully, Nico was flustered beyond belief, hyper-aware of the pressure of Will’s body against his.

“Got it?” 

Nico snapped out of his daze, his eyes training on the now tied tie. “Um. Yeah.”

Will smiled. “You’re so cute.”

Nico huffed, speaking in a reprimanding tone. “We’ve talked about this, Will.” His eyes travelled up to their faces in the mirror and he stilled. 

Will scanned his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m taller than you.” It was barely noticeable, but he had been tinkering on the edge for the last few days, and a final push had sent him over the limit. He was taller than Will.  _ He _ was  _ taller _ than  _ Will. _

That was… weird?

“What? No, you’re-” The color drained from Will’s face. “Well, shit.”

“I’m… I’m taller than you.” He frowned. “I… huh.”

“Well, I think it’s hot,” Will murmured against his neck. “And also annoying.”

Nico scowled. “How flattering.”

Will laughed, linking their fingers. “We should go. Annabeth texted me half an hour ago and said the DJs have already arrived.”

Nico turned towards the door, his eyes dragging across his piano in the process. He was instantly reminded that he hadn’t held up on his end of the deal ー  _ La Cura  _ had yet to be played ー but he prayed that they could make it to Will’s jeep without that factor being brought up.

_ Don’t notice, don’t notice, don’t notice- _

Nico had just reached the door when Will ー go figure ー noticed. “You still owe me a song, di Angelo,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around Nico’s waist from behind.

Nico gulped. “Yeah.”

“Next time,” Will said, placing a kiss to his neck. “Now, come on. We’re going to be late.”

Nico rolled his eyes, though his relief was obvious. He locked the front door and walked out the Will’s awaiting Jeep. 

“ _ Everyone _ is late to school dances, Will.” He slipped into the passenger side ー Will held the door wide open for him, ever the gentlemen.

“How would you know?” Will called over his shoulder. He rounded the Jeep and took his own seat. “You’ve never been to one.”

Nico scowled, crossing his arms. “Shut up.” He didn’t even bother denying Will’s claim ー the only dance he had gone to was in seventh grade, which didn’t count on any significant standards. That had been where some kid in his science class had kissed him, receiving a punch to the face in return. The kiss (and the punch for the matter) didn’t count on any significant standards, either.

“One slow dance,” Will said, as he pulled into the streets. 

Nico huffed. “No way.” _ Slow dancing? With Will? Slowly?  _ That was even worse than just normal dancing.

“You’re my boyfriend.” Will gave a small pout. “Please?”

Nico grumbled something incoherent before sighing. “One dance.”

“Two dances,” Will shot back, not wasting any time, “but only one of them has to be slow.”

Nico opened his mouth to argue, then closed it.  _ Compromise _ , he reminded himself. He had been researching more into healthy relationships ー Naomi not only had helped ease his fears, but she had also piqued his curiosity. Nico was well aware of the importance of compromise, and he supposed two dances wasn’t much to ask for, even if the idea made him uncomfortable. 

He was learning that sometimes a little discomfort was necessary.

“Two dances,” Nico relented, “but that’s all you’re getting”.

Will grinned, leaning over and placing a chaste kiss to his cheek. “I win.”

“Eyes on the road, Solace,” Nico mumbled. And despite Will claiming to have been the victor, the fluttering in Nico’s heart made him think otherwise.

* * *

By the time they arrived at Goode, there was a significant number of people conversing outside. Orange lights and Halloween decorations were strewn from the tops of buildings and around any poles. A small number of staff supervisors were spread across the outside. Very few students weren’t wearing costumes, but Nico still couldn’t help but feel self conscious, constantly readjusting his tie and suit.

“Will! Nico!” They turned at Percy’s voice. They were some of the last of their friends to arrive, and Nico wasn’t surprised at the Halloween enthusiasm put into their costumes. Thalia and Reyna were completely decked out, Reyna in her Wonder Woman costume and Thalia resembling some other kind of warrior, her hood hanging around her neck. Jason was dressed as Superman, which Nico wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cringe about. Even Frank went with the superhero theme, his skin painted green and an obviously Hulk inspired costume set around his bulky frame. Hazel was likewise decked out, dressed as Shuri from Black Panther. Piper was Katniss Everdeen, minus the weapon because of _ school policy _ . Rachel was dressed as Anna from Brave. Annabeth surprised everyone by going as Harley Quinn, while Percy stuck with being Aquaman. The only ones Nico couldn’t find were Leo, who was most definitely late, and Calypso, who hadn’t hung out with them for weeks.

Will cursed under his breath, and Nico glanced over. “What?”

He looked up from his phone. “I’ve gotta call my mom real quick. She’s figuring out Christmas gifts for when my cousins come into town early December. She’s slammed during November, so it’s best to get everything right now-”

“Will.” Nico couldn’t help but roll his eyes at over-explanation. “Go.”

Will squeezed his hand and his eyes flashed with gratitude before he pulled his phone up to his ear and walked off. Nico smiled to himself. Will’s devotion to his mother was such an attractive quality. He also noted how instead of a kiss on the cheek (which Will frequently gave him when they were alone) was not present in a public setting. He was thankful for Will’s consideration of his comfort in public, even if he never said it out loud.

Nico pressed his hands to his eyes.  _ God, he could literally cuss me out and I would fall harder for him. _

He migrated over to his group of friends just as Hazel, Frank, and Rachel were going elsewhere, and Jason nudged him in the side lightly. “Hey, where’d your boyfriend run off to?”

Nico shrugged. “Had to do some Christmas stuff for his family.”

“It’s Halloween,” Jason said pointedly. “I can’t believe he’s one of  _ those  _ people. I bet he’ll have Christmas music playing by Friday.”

Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. “He played Jingle Bells on the way to school yesterday and I nearly strangled him.”  _ I also found it incredibly endearing, but you don’t need to know that. _

Thalia popped up next to him. “What, like, strangle in the  _ I-want-to-kill-you _ way or the  _ I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off  _ way?”

Nico whirled, narrowing his eyes. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Thalia smirked triumphantly. “I’m not the one who’s failing to get laid.”

Nico ignored her swipe, but his eyebrows raised. 

Jason voiced the question for him. “And you are?”

Thalia snorted. “Uh, duh.” She jabbed a finger at Wonder Woman Reyna, who was in a philosophical debate with Annabeth and a confused Percy. “My girlfriend, bitches.”

“Your  _ what _ ?!” 

Everyone turned in response to Jason’s uncharacteristic exclamation, but Thalia just kept smirking.

“We live in the same house,” Jason said in an incredulous tone. “How could you not tell me?!”

“How could you not know?” Thalia rolled her eyes. “It’s been quite a few days now,  _ brother _ .”

“Speaking of which,” Annabeth called off, breaking out of her debate and strolling over. “Your boyfriend owes me thirty bucks, di Angelo. He lost the bet because he was dumb enough to think they’d wait until the New Year.” She snorted, and the prideful expression mixed with her Harley Quinn outfit was almost comical. “Ammature.”

“Do not rope me into this.” Nico shook his head.  _ That’s what he gets for betting against Annabeth. _   
“He better pay up,” Annabeth said, and Nico did not like the way her words sounded threatening. 

Leo arrived then, waltzing into their group with a boyish grin on his face. He was dressed as Iron Man, with some modifications towards the original costume in order for it to be maskless and without “visible weaponry”, as the school board put it, but it still looked great. He was a nice addition to the superhero collection many of his friends opted for this year. The DC and Marvel clash wasn’t ideal, but if Reyna got to be a badass warrior and Leo got to be Tony Stark, everyone was a happy camper.

“Hey, Superman,” he said with a smirk, and Nico couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the attention he immediately gave Jason. Clearly, things were proceeding in a very  _ gay _ direction with the two of them.

Jason smiled, adjusting his glasses awkwardly. “Uh, hey, Iron Man.”

“You’re in two different franchises,” Rachel called out from a little ways away. She was next to Calypso, who was dressed as a pirate, but they kept their distance from the main throng. It seemed that whatever ended Leo and Calypso’s relationship officially was still a tough subject, and no one wanted their disaster love lives to affect the dance.

Not that the dance had started yet. Dance. Dancing.

_ Shit. This is not going to go well. _

Will jogged back in. “Hey, sorry about that.”

Reyna snorted. "I see you decided to wear the costume I gave you, Will. You and Nico look all couple-y and dorky."

Nico whirled on her. "This was _your_ doing?" His face twisted in annoyance, and Reyna only lifted a shoulder in reply, her expression annoyingly bright.

Will raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew."

"No."  He kept his glare focused hard on Reyna. " I didn't." 

“Heard you were an early Christmas lover, Will,” Jason remarked suddenly. The change in conversation, though forced, served to dim Nico's fury.

"It's the best time of the year," Will said, his voice embarrassingly cheery.

Annabeth shook her head. “So is Percy. As soon as this dance is over, he’ll be blasting White Christmas at every opportunity.”

“Thanksgiving hasn’t even happened yet,” Thalia put in, with the roll of her eyes. “You’re hopeless, Will.”

“Speaking of Will’s hopelessness…” Annabeth held out a hand expectantly

Will stared at her stupidly before comprehension crossed his face. “No  _ way _ . Seriously, Thalia? You couldn’t have waited, I don’t know, maybe a few months?”

She rolled her eyes. “Could you have waited a few months to get with Nico?” 

“What- I didn’t-” Will pursed his lips. “That’s completely different.”

“Sure it is,” Thalia said, her voice unnaturally sweet. Piper snorted from off to the side.

Will sighed. “How much do I owe you, Annabeth?”

“Thirty-”

“Here,” Nico interrupted, holding out a wad of cash to the blonde. “I got this one covered.”

Annabeth shrugged, counting the money quickly before slipping it into her pocket. “As long as I’m paid.”

Will stared at him, along with the rest of the group. “You didn’t have to do that.” Sure, they may have been together now, but Nico was not one to be so…

Well, to be so openly generous. Not because he was an unkind person, but because he was reserved.

Nico shrugged, feeling the weight of his friends’ eyes pressing down on him. “It’s nothing.” And of course, that wasn’t true. It was very much something. The more Nico had spent time with Will, the more he understood about their financial steadiness, or rather, the lack thereof. The Solace family had been relatively well off in his middle school years, evident by Will’s ability to be in voice and guitar lessons, but especially recently, their income had taken a toll. Nico hadn’t asked him outright, but he assumed it was because his mom was struggling to get enough gigs, or ones that paid well.

Will scanned his face before smiling softly. “Thank you, Nico.” 

Nico flushed at his unfiltered gratitude ー and  _ dammit _ how he loved when Will said his name like that ー and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Piper smirked. “Cute.” 

“That’s one way to put it,” Thalia said, grabbing Reyna’s hand. “Now, let’s go  _ dance _ . I heard Goode hired a good DJ, for once.”

Inside was even more packed, as Nico had predicted, but not unbearably so. The auditorium was filled with tables and refreshments. Black and orange streamers as well as ghosts and witches hung from the walls.

The music was already blasting when they entered, pumping loud lyrics through speakers around the room. Nico didn’t recognize the song, but he knew for certain it was modern Halloween music.

Speaking of music, the DJ ー or DJs, rather ー looked like they were having a blast. Behind their set up, a large banner was strewn across the back wall. The words  **Party Ponies** were plastered against the sign, an odd sort of name, but the DJs themselves fit the title. There were three of them in total, each wearing black leather jackets, not unlike the one Nico owned, and had tattoos across every inch of their skin. Their hair was grown out and tied back. They looked nothing like what Goode would usually hire, despite their punctuality.

Actually, the more Nico focused on them, the more they looked like-

“They better start playing the good Halloween music,” Reyna remarked, straining to be heard over the music. They had settled into an empty table near the back of the room except for Piper, who was dragging both Leo and Jason onto the dance floor.

Thalia snorted. “There’s good Halloween music?” Nico watched their hands slip together a second time and shook his head. Yes, Thalia and Reyna had been bound to happen for some time now, but Nico would have thought he’d notice. To his defense, they acted practically the same as they had when they weren’t “official” but Nico still found it odd at his lack of observance.    
He’d also been a little too focused on his boyfriend over the last few weeks, which could easily explain his cluelessness.

“Ten bucks Damien White snuck in weed,” Thalia proclaimed. Percy laughed outright, saying something about half the school population doing just that.

Annabeth scoffed. “There’s no one stupid enough to bet against that-”

Leo smirked regardless. “You’re on, Grace.” Annabeth looked like she wanted to facepalm at his idiocy.

Nico frowned. “Who’s Damien, anyway?” The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t picture a face.

Jason thrummed his fingers on the table, popping a candy corn into his mouth. “He used to go to Olympus High. Transferred here last month.”

Nico regarded him carefully. Jason had grown up with the kids in that area, likely one of the reasons for his decision to go to Goode instead of the other high school. He didn’t know if Jason had been acquainted with Damien, but something about his tone was suspicious.

_ Stop analyzing him, _ Nico scolded himself.  _ There’s a dance, remember? You’re at a dance. A dance where you’re going to have to dance. With Will. Shit. _

Nico opened his mouth to continue the conversation, but Piper cut in. “So, Nico. Has Will been good to you?”

Nico flushed. Everyone’s attention shifted to him for the second time that evening, and Nico shrunk back in his chair. He knew Piper was just being annoying, and by the not-so-innocent innocent looks the rest of the table was giving him, everyone else was in on it.

“He’s fine,” Nico mumbled, his eyes flashing to Will briefly.  _ Gods, that eyeliner is so fucking hot- _

Will placed a hand on his knee, grinning wide before he faced their friends again. “I don’t know why you are all worried about  _ my  _ behavior. Nico is mean to me every day.” And suddenly, his eyeliner was a lot more annoying than hot. Or maybe it was both. Hottily annoying. Annoyingly hot.

Whatever you called it, Will totally wrecked Nico’s gay moment. What a pain in the ass.

Nico scoffed. “I am not  _ mean _ .” 

Will rolled his eyes. “Three days ago you refused to talk to me for over an hour because I took your fries.”

Nico crossed his arms. “ _ You _ took  _ my _ fries. Who does that? You deserved the silent treatment.”

“ _ And _ you kept teasing me in front of my mom yesterday!”

“Oh, and she wasn’t teasing you, too? It’s called tag-teaming, Sunshine. Look it up.”

Will made an afronted noise. “Well, if you weren’t so-”

The clear of a throat cut him off, and Nico flushed upon realizing they were still very much in public. So often, it felt like he and Will were the only ones that existed. Nico wanted to feel guilty, but the realization only served to make him giddier.

Leo poked his head out from behind his held-up phone, smirking. “This will be a good blackmail piece.”

“You got that on video?” Nico said incredulously, standing up abruptly. 

A look of terror crossed over Leo’s face. “Holy shit, man. When did you get so tall?”

Nico flushed, because in truth, he didn’t really  _ feel _ tall, but he just met the Latino’s gaze with a strong glare. “Delete the video, Valdez.”

Never one to be deterred, Leo smirked. “Nope.”

“I swear to-”

Jason held up a hand suddenly, and Nico closed his mouth. He normally wouldn’t yield to a command, but the way Jason was looking at him, he decided to be obedient.

Jason murmured a few words to Leo, who turned bright red in return, handing his phone quickly to the blonde. 

“What the actual  _ fuck _ was that?” Thalia demanded, her face tight. “Don’t tell me you’re legitimately being gay with Valdez- I thought that was all hypothetical- Hey!”

Her words were cut off by a bemused Reyna, who took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Thalia shot Jason one last look before they were swallowed by the mass throng of students, all of which were dancing to the beginnings of Michael Jackson’s  _ Thriller _ .

Piper cracked her fingers. “My people are calling me.” She took Jason and Leo by the elbow and marched them into the costumed dancers, a huge grin on her face. Percy and Annabeth were fast to join them, and even Hazel and Frank migrated to the outskirts of the dance pit. Nico glanced over at his boyfriend uneasily, scared he would be pulled in, too.

Will just gave him a wide smile, popping a candy corn into his mouth. “So Jason and Leo, huh?”

Nico rolled his eyes and gave a bemused shake of his head, ever so grateful for his boundary-respecting boyfriend.

* * *

An hour passed and Will was only able to coax Nico into one dance. Granted, it was the Macarena, and there was really little room for embarrassment, but it had still been a nerve-racking process. They had walked outside with Piper, Leo, and Jason for a good portion of time, even visiting with Will’s half-siblings for a time, but once Will’s craving for candy corn had grown to its peak, they had gravitated back indoors.

Nico’s gaze trained on the DJs once they’d settled back down. Something about them  _ felt _ wrong. From far away, their tattoos and faces weren’t incredibly defined, but the way they carried themselves was recognizable. 

“Do the DJs look familiar to you?”

Will glanced up at their music set up, shrugging. “Not really. Do you know them?”

Nico frowned. “I don’t think so.”

His analyzing was cut short, however, because a few seconds into the next song, Will gasped. “Oh my- Holy fucking shit-” A huge grin broke out across his face. “They're playing  _ Music of the Night _ ! From-” He made an unintelligible noise. “Phantom of the Opera! HOLY FUCK!” At that, a nearby supervisor shot him a warning look, and he gave an apologetic expression in return.

A fond smile crossed Nico’s face before he realized what this meant. “Shit-”

“Come on!” Will grabbed his arm, pulling him out of his seat. Nico thought he would take them to the mass group of students, all clogged and swaying in the center, but instead, they veered toward the auditorium exit.

“I said you owed me a slow dance,” Will said gently, pulling to a stop outside, just to the right of the doors. “I didn’t say it had to be around other people.”

Nico bit his lip, warmth spreading throughout his chest. “Oh.”

Will laughed softly, linking his hands around the back of Nico’s neck. “I still can’t believe you’re taller than me.”

“We’re basically the same height,” Nico grumbled, hesitantly settling his hands on Will’s waist, “and I doubt I’ll grow much more. Besides, you’ve got- you know, your broad shoulders and all your muscles and…” His cheeks colored further at that.

“Ah, you say that now,” Will murmured, his eyes sparkling. “Trust me, once you find a reason to flaunt your tall-ness, you’ll be taking back those words.”

Nico rolled his eyes, dropping his head down against Will’s shoulder. “I’m sure I will.”

Will sighed, and they fell into a comfortable silence that had grown ever-so prominent in their relationship. Many times, they just laid in Will’s room, staring at the ceiling, hands intertwined, breathing next to each other. Other days, they did homework side by side, quiet save for the occasional clatter of a keyboard or the scratch of a pencil. Even when they were taking a walk, or facetiming, there were always moments of peace, moments they didn’t dare interrupt, if they could help it.

And the silence always came to an end, of course, whether it be an interruption by Naomi or curfew or dinner. There was always something to bring back the  _ noise _ of life.

In this case, it was Damien White’s fault.

From their position outside, Nico and Will immediately saw the lights flash on in the auditorium, followed by the severing of the music. The song had been nearly over, but the abrupt end and sudden brightness brought angry protests from the throng of students inside. Nico could tell Supervisors were trying to make their voices heard, but the students had the upper hand.

“What the fuck?”

“I knew I shouldn’t have come to some shitty high school dance!”

“Where’s the music?”

“Oh my gods, I can’t believe I danced with  _ you _ .”

Most of the outbursts blended together in a mix of furious chaos. Of all people, Goode students had little patience. This was  _ their  _ dance; they demanded answers.

And the answer came soon enough. A pair of campus security guards led none other than Damien White, putting up a fair amount of protest. 

“I fucking  _ told _ you, Valdez! Damien always brings weed!” That was definitely Thalia ー blunt and to the point. Nico found her figure easily enough. The students were all gravitating towards the entrance, following Damien and his escorts relatively closely.

Nico didn’t hear Leo’s response, but he saw him hand a folded pile of cash to the girl.  _ All of them really need to stop betting on people. _

Jason was watching Damien with a tight face, clearly none too happy to see the boy, but not surprised in the least at his state of being. Nico again wondered how closely they had known each other, or if they had merely been acquainted.

“Party at my place!”

Nico and Will turned to see Paolo strolling by, speaking to every teenager he could find. He was dressed in a loose tank top and shorts ー neither in formal or Halloween attire ー and pranced around as if he had expected Damien to ruin the party all along.

“Will I see you there?”

It took Nico a second to realize Paolo was addressing them, but Will didn’t hesitate. “Of course!”

Paolo nodded firmly before sliding off to another couple. A surge of unfiltered anger surged through Nico ー what was with Will’s enthusiastic response? Sure, Paolo and Will were  _ friends _ of some sort, especially having swam on the same team, but Nico hadn’t thought they were  _ that _ close. And the way Will’s gaze lingered after him made his blood curl. 

“You’re staring at his arms,” Nico grumbled, his arms crossed tight. 

Will rolled his eyes. “He got his arms reattached after a freak accident last month. Didn’t you hear?”

In truth, Nico  _ had _ heard ー the whole school had been buzzing about it for the past few weeks ー but he had been too caught up in his jealousy to remember. “Whatever.”

Will laughed softly. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

“And you’re annoying,” Nico muttered half-heartedly. 

“You do want to go, right?”

Nico lifted a shoulder. “Might as well. It’s not even nine, yet, anyway.” 

The night had gotten off to a both boring and eventful start, but Nico had a truth he would always abide by. He would do anything to spend more time with his boyfriend, even if that meant going to Paolo's stupid party.

He sighed, slipping a hand into Will's. Anything to spend more time with his boyfriend.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE DUFODOADHOIBADKN  
> They will make out NEXT chapter, so sorry for those who were expecting *spiciness* this time. I had to split up this chapter into two because it was getting really long (:  
> AND SOME MORE THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE  
> in truth i lowkey had no clue how to write this  
> but now  
> its super long so i had to split into two chapters  
> so you get LOTS of emotions and plotty stuff and fluff and a little bit of spice NEXT chapter  
> i love you guys  
> like i literally love you guys so much

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment down below on what you want to see in this work!


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